Purpose-built power protection systems safeguarding the USA's labs and protecting latest biofuel production research for oil independence
Since teaming with leading research companies and the National Institute of Health (NIH) in 2001 following the 9/11 attacks, Franek Technologies says it has experienced a rapid sales growth in both the homeland security and biofuels sectors.
With its most recent installations at Battelle National Biodefense Institute (BNBI)'s new US Department of Homeland Security's National Biodefense Analysis and Countermeasures Center (NBACC), Myriad Genetics, and Syngenta, Franek Technologies now has approximately 175 certified power protection systems in place at the top labs across the USA specialising in bioterrorism preparedness and cutting-edge biofuel research.
Franek Technologies's expertise has become a required critical safeguard against power fluctuations and failure that could otherwise paralyse the labs' ability to reliably detect trace biohazard agents in air, food, and soil, as well as their ability to find biofuel alternatives striving towards oil and energy independence.
With over 135 power protection units installed at the NIH alone, Franek Technologies has teamed with top research laboratories nationwide to protect critical instrumentation utilized in bioterrorism and public health analysis from power glitches or failure.
Its most recent installation includes certified, custom engineered power protection units at Battelle National Biodefense Institute (BNBI)'s new National Biodefense Analysis and Countermeasures Center (NBACC), a federally funded research and development center, in Frederick, MD.
As part of the efforts by the Department of Homeland Security, the NBACC, scheduled to open in 2008, will be the nation's premier research facility for biological threat characterisation and bioforensic research.
The NBACC will create a biodefense campus that includes the NIH's National Institute of Allergy and Infectious Diseases (NIAID), where Franek Technologies has recently installed another dozen LPS units, in addition to installations at the US Army Medical Research Institute of Infectious Diseases (USAMRIID).
By providing regenerated power with real-time continuous protection for its critical instrumentation, the centre is not only protecting its sensitive and costly instrumentation, but is also protecting irreplaceable samples and ensuring the sanctity of results from corruption and loss.
Additionally, in late 2007, Franek Technologies had notable installations at Myriad Genetics and Syngenta, both leading companies in forensic research and biofuel production respectively.
Myriad, a leading biopharmaceutical company in Salt Lake City, Utah, installed an additional 14 customised power protection units to support the company's critical DNA sequencing instrumentation including Applied Biosystems's Prism 3730XL DNA analyser and General Electric Healthcare's (formerly Amersham Bioscience) Megabace 4500 DNA analysis system used in contract government forensic research.
Syngenta utilised Franek Technologies's engineering team to design a turn-key power protection solution with five specialised units to support its research in molecular marker technology.
The instrumentation protected by Franek Technologies is used to study particular plant traits through makers, or unique sections of the plant's DNA, that are easily identified in the laboratory and can reliably indicate the presence of specific characteristics even before the plant is full-grown.
Studying these markers significantly reduces the need for costly and time-consuming breeding trials in the field or in greenhouses.
Marker technology, or marker-assisted breeding, is an important tool in modern plant breeding and integral to Syngenta's success in finding alternative crop fuel (biomass) sources, such as corn hybrids, as a substitution for traditional fossil fuels.
"We began our partnership with government bioterrorism preparedness military laboratories back in 2001, immediately after the 9/11 terrorist attacks; a continuation of our business with leading research companies," explained Ray Hecker, VP and general manager, Franek Technologies.
"We can find no greater cause than helping to protect our nation from bioterrorist agents found in the air, water, or food.
"We are also excited about our recent installations at Syngenta as the company makes great strides towards fuel conservation and finding alternative fuel sources.
"Our selection by leading OEMs such as these assures us that we are and will continue to truly make a difference locally and nationally."
