Terra Nova becomes Cellsense Limited as company expands and targets new industrial markets

Citation

(2000), "Terra Nova becomes Cellsense Limited as company expands and targets new industrial markets", Sensor Review, Vol. 20 No. 1. https://doi.org/10.1108/sr.2000.08720aab.005

Terra Nova becomes Cellsense Limited as company expands and targets new industrial markets

Applications for process optimisation grow in pharmaceuticals, chemicals, food and paper manufacturing, and PCP

Keywords Expansion, Development

Terra Nova Systems Ltd, the biosensor-based analytical instrumentation company, announced a change of name to become Cellsense Limited. Previously based in York (UK), the company now operates from headquarters in Cambridge, UK.

The new name marks a significant expansion of the company that includes the appointment of an experienced management team and sales teams that will access the markets both directly and through a world-wide distributor network. These moves are designed to support the company's development into new markets as it exploits fully the contribution that its products can make to optimising industrial processes.

Cellsense Limited already has a well-established customer base for water, effluent and other environmental testing applications, including the assessment of toxicity and biodegradability. Customers include blue chip companies operating in areas such as pharmaceuticals, chemicals and paper manufacturing, and it is from this platform that Cellsense is rapidly extending its process management applications.

Cellsense instruments use standard or custom-designed biosensors for the assessment of a variety of products and processes. They have a growing role in optimisation at different stages of the development and management of a wide range of industrial processes, generating significant cost savings by enabling earlier release of product and improved inventory control, for example.

According to Cellsense Limited's Managing Director John McKinley, these applications are widespread: "Cellsense works closely with companies in fields such as pharmaceutical and toiletries manufacture, chemicals and food processing, brewing and the paper industry. We have systems that are capable of rapid sample assessment and complementary products that are focussed on longer term studies of biological interactions.

"Toxicity testing of effluent remains an important area for us, but as companies seek to optimise their manufacturing processes, our products have a key role to play in monitoring and controlling the process itself, as well as in testing the end product. This is particularly important where organisations manufacture a large number of products with frequent changes in composition. The interaction of components can have a significant effect on effluent systems. The ability to 'build in' control of this at an early stage in the process, rather than 'test out' the problem at the end, contributes to optimising the efficiency of the manufacturing process. The financial benefits to the manufacturer can be very significant."

For further information please contact: John McKinley, Cellsense Limited, Unit Jl, 1 The Paddocks, 347 Cherry Hinton Road, Cambridge CB1 8DH. Tel: +44 (0) 1223 414344; Fax: +44 (0) 1223 411300; E-mail: imckinlev@dial.pipex.com