Thermo Fisher Scientific Inc., the world leader in serving science, today announced a new upgrade program that includes the donation of reconditioned Thermo Scientific NanoDrop 1000 spectrophotometers to academic institutions in developing countries. Owners of a NanoDrop 1000 UV-Vis spectrophotometer can trade in their current instrument and receive a $1,500 credit with the purchase of a NanoDrop 2000 or NanoDrop 2000c UV-Vis spectrophotometer, plus a free one-year extended service plan. Thermo Fisher will refurbish all traded-in instruments and donate them to Seeding Labs, an organization that places scientific instrumentation in the academic institutions of developing nations. 

For scientists in poorer countries, the expense of starting up a modern laboratory makes carrying out world-class research nearly impossible. For these researchers, access to equipment, even older models, can mean the difference between building a functional lab and suspending research. Providing refurbished NanoDrop 1000 instruments through Seeding Labs supports scientific research in these countries and NanoDrop instruments are ideal candidates for this program because they are easy to use and require no consumables.

Thermo Fisher developed the NanoDrop 2000 and NanoDrop 2000c UV-Vis spectrophotometers in response to customer feedback. The instruments feature a patented sample retention technology that allows UV-Vis measurements to be made from samples as small as 1 µL in five seconds, without the need for cuvettes or dilutions. As a result of new product enhancements many customers will choose to upgrade their existing NanoDrop 1000 instruments and the Seeding Labs donation program is extra incentive to upgrade to the latest technology. 

"Thermo Fisher is constantly developing cutting-edge technology and new solutions to help its customers stay at the forefront of their industries," said Hrissi Samartzidou, senior global director, marketing UV-Vis, Thermo Fisher Scientific NanoDrop. "When a new instrument arrives at a laboratory, however, another may be put out of service. Together with Seeding Labs we can ensure that these instruments continue to serve science, supporting and expanding scientific research in institutions that otherwise could not afford this technology."

"We are delighted to collaborate with Thermo Fisher Scientific on this upgrade program," said David Qualter, operations manager, Seeding Labs. "The company recognizes the value of contributing surplus instrumentation to the developing world, and having access to this equipment will allow scientists and students to have the tools and training necessary to perform high-quality scientific research to solve problems of direct relevance to their communities, including local agricultural issues and neglected infectious diseases. We look forward to working together to ensure scientific and technical advances across these nations."

To find out more about the Thermo Scientific NanoDrop 1000 upgrade program, please visit www.thermoscientific.com/nanodropupgrade. The program ends December 31, 2011.

For further information on Seeding Labs, please visit http://www.seedinglabs.org/.

For more information on the Thermo Scientific NanoDrop products, please visit www.thermoscientific.com/nanodrop or call +1 302-479-7707.