Bats and MS? New MS facility unveiled

Written by Cameron Low, Future Science Group
MS (LC–MS/MS, HRMS, IMS) News
A detailed showcasing a mass spectrometer, a vital scientific instrument used in research and analysis. The image highlights the process of recording the frequency of ionized particles, providing

On September 11th 2014, Waters Corporation (Hertfordshire, UK) celebrated the opening of their new, custom-built MS headquarters.

Waters (Hertfordshire, UK) recently celebrated the opening of their new, custom-built MS headquaters, designed with the aim of accelerating innovation in the field of MS, located in Wilmslow, Manchester (UK) on September 11th 2014.

The new facility was opened by George Osborne MP, Chancellor of the Exchequer, who stated: “I am delighted to open the new Waters Corporation offices in Wilmslow, after I helped perform the ground-breaking back in June 2012. It is a fantastic site that provides many excellent local jobs and I wish them every success here in the future.”

The North West of the UK is regarded as a global R&D hub for the specialist technique, and plays host to a network of specialist technology and engineering firms that lead the field of MS. There is a rich history in the region, harking back to the early 1800s when John Dalton produced his ground breaking Atomic Theory, laying the foundations from which MS has developed.

Waters wish to continue the tradition of MS, and their investment, in the region. Brian Smith, Vice President of MS Operations, said, “Our new Waters MS Headquarters in Wilmslow marks our continued investment in the region and dedication to the North West. The new facility has been specially designed to enhance collaboration and drive innovation, building on the research and scores of patents that we have already accomplished in the field, right at the heart of where MS first began, here in Manchester.”

The new headquarters bring together Waters’ existing MS centers in the region, which have a combined total of more than 500 employees. The building, 2313m2 in size, houses state-of-the-art customer demonstration laboratories, and also features R&D capabilities, along with an expanded manufacturing capacity.

Sustainability was taken into account throughout, with sustainable elements implemented including: rain water harvesting tanks, solar panels and heat recovery systems. The site was constructed to the ‘Very Good’ BREEAM rating. Surprisingly, the site is also home to a number of Pipistrelle bats; the bats were discovered during the initial site survey and are now the lucky inhabitants of a newly built bat house located onsite.

Source: Waters unveils global mass spectrometry headquarters in the UK’s North West.