FST.L Regulatory News (FST)

31 Aug 2005 10:56

Nanoscience Inc. ("Nanoscience") Strategic Investment Nanoscience, the specialist nanotechnology investment holding company, ispleased to announce that it has completed its second strategic technologyinvestment since listing on AIM in March of this year. Nanoscience has invested‚£100,000 in consideration for the issue of 2,179,406 ordinary shares in theAustralian based company XRT Limited ("XRT"), leaders in developing nanoscaleimaging technology based on phase contrast imaging. The investment, whichrepresents a minority interest in XRT was part of a total fund raising of ‚£1.615 million for XRT.XRT was established in 1996 and has successfully developed and obtainedworldwide exclusive Intellectual Property for applications in X-Ray andelectron microscopy, allowing accurate inspection at nanoscale resolutions (sub100 nanometres). In enabling accurate examination at these scales it isexpected that the XRT equipment will play a pivotal role in research anddevelopment programmes within the nanotechnology sector.The ability of XRT's imaging technology to carry out nanoscale structuralinspections has been met with significant enthusiasm from potential customersfor a wide range of uses from industrial inspection of materials to medicaldiagnosis.XRT's technology has been fully developed and achieved its first majorlicensing deal in March of this year. To date XRT has successfully secured twosignificant commercial partnerships, including one with the world's leadingmanufacturer of instrumentation and software used in the enhancement ofelectron microscopes, Gatan Inc. Gatan Inc. will use the XRT technology togreatly extend the performance capabilities of conventional electronmicroscopes allowing users to see the internal structure of materials withresolutions down to 1000th of the diameter of a human hair.Richard Rose, Non-Executive Chairman, commented:"We are delighted to have been given the opportunity to invest in XRT'stechnology and look forward to watching the company grow into a significantcontributor to the field of nanotechnology. As stated at the time of ourflotation it is the specific intention of the Board to seek technologyinvestments that will yield revenues from the rapidly emerging and far reachingnanotechnology sector.XRT's technology is positioned as a key enabler within the nanotechnologysector and as such I would expect it to benefit from progress made by anysection of this field as its benefits are supportive of a wide range ofadvancements within the nanotechnology sector."Further Information:Serge Grisard Nanoscience 0041 794 003 733 Nicholas Nelson/Andrew Hansard Communications 020 7245 1100 Tan ENDNANOSCIENCE INC