Merck and Rigaku to partner on hi-tech consumables development

Merck and Rigaku Corporation are to collaborate on developing lab consumables based on highly innovative crystalline sponge technology, which determines the absolute chemical structure of organic molecules and enables X-ray crystallography without crystallisation of the analyte. Dr. Makoto Fujita, Distinguished Professor of the University of Tokyo and the Institute for Molecular Science, invented the technology and is still involved in the project through the University of Tokyo and the Japanese Science and Technology Agency.
Yoshiaki Watanabe, Rigaku’s Senior Executive Vice President, said: “Rigaku has been at the leading edge of technology in the high-end crystallography market for decades. This project will open new doors for scientists at all levels of expertise across a range of disciplines – in medicine, life science and the evolution of advanced materials.”
Isabel De Paoli, Merck’s Chief Strategy Officer, said: “We have licensed a new technology with the potential to help labs determine absolute chemical structure quickly, even for samples on a sub-microgram scale. Our innovation project is working on dedicated consumables that will simplify the technology to enable our customers to apply it. With Rigaku, we have found an extremely competent partner to develop the best devices for the technology, and we are looking forward to working together on this project.”