Order

Oxford Instruments PLC
19 August 2003

19 August 2003



Oxford Instruments wins major order enabling a new generation of Mass
Spectrometry based bio-tools



Oxford Instruments plc (LSE: OXIG), the advanced instrumentation company, today
announces that it has won a major order from Thermo Electron Corporation for the
supply of superconducting magnets that will enable a new generation of bio-tools
for medical and scientific research.  The order is estimated to be worth €3m
over 18 months, of which almost € 1m has already been committed.



Thermo Electron is renowned for supplying laboratory professionals with the most
accurate and sensitive instruments for analysing a wide array of substances.
The company recently announced a major breakthrough in analysing and detecting
bio molecular structures with the launch of its new FinniganTM LTQ-FTTM product,
a mass spectrometer which uses Fourier Transform Mass Spectrometer ("FTMS")
technology.   Oxford Instruments has today been named the primary supplier of
the magnets that will be at the heart of this important new bio-tool.



Oxford Instruments is the world leader in superconducting magnet and cryogenic
technology design and manufacture, and has the widest range of quality products
enabling a range of analytical techniques in the field.



The FTMS platform developed by Thermo Electron represents a paradigm shift in
mass spectrometry because it transforms a highly complex technology into an
instrument that can be used in routine pharmaceutical and biochemical research.
Oxford Instruments' superconducting magnet is a critical enabling element within
the new instrument, which will play a major role in future drug discovery and
life science applications.  One important application will be the determination
of protein structure and function, one of the world's largest scientific
undertakings that sits at the heart of the genomics and proteomics revolution.
The information gained from this new bio-tool will increase knowledge about
biological function and ultimately assist in the advancement of new drug
discovery, diagnostic and therapeutic solutions.



It is estimated that the market for the Thermo Electron Mass spectrometer
Finnigan LTQ-FTTM will grow significantly over the next five years.  Oxford
Instruments estimates that this initial order will be worth €3m to the end of
2004.  The company also believes that the new technology will create significant
opportunities to supply its products to a wide market of research laboratories
and instrument manufacturers, building on its leading position in the related
field of NMR magnet technology.



Dr Andrew Mackintosh, Chief Executive of Oxford Instruments, said:  "We believe
that the new FTMS technology is becoming a more widely accepted technique in
both pharmaceutical laboratories as well as research institutes and universities
for the study of a wide range of bio chemical processes applied to areas such as
proteomics.  We expect the total FTMS market to grow significantly over the next
five years and Oxford Instruments is well positioned to meet the demands for
superconducting magnets and other related products that play a critical enabling
role within this new technology."



Frank Trundle, Marketing Director, Oxford Instruments Superconductivity, said:
"Biomedical researchers are using our innovative products in one of the largest
scientific undertakings affecting humankind - studying hundreds of thousands of
proteins to gain knowledge about biological function, diseases and disorders.
The new FTMS technology breaks new ground, allowing advanced mass spectrometer
technology to be used in routine research for the first time."



Enquiries:
Oxford Instruments plc                                  01865 881437

Dr Andrew Mackintosh, Chief Executive
Hogarth Partnership Limited                             020 7357 9477

Rachel Hirst/Edward Westropp



NOTES TO EDITORS



Oxford Instruments plc



Oxford Instruments is a global leader in advanced instrumentation.  It is a
recognised world leader in several technologies, including the application of
superconductivity, the creation of low temperatures, the production and
detection of X-rays and in neurological measurements.  The company's products
are used around the world in healthcare, semiconductor processing, scientific
research, industrial chemical analysis and quality control.  Its customers
include most of the world's major international companies as well as the leading
hospitals and research institutes.



Born out of Oxford University, with over 40 years of continuous product
development, Oxford Instruments comprises three businesses, Medical, Analytical
and Superconductivity.



Thermo Electron



A world leader in high-tech instruments, Thermo Electron Corporation helps life
science, laboratory, and industrial customers advance scientific knowledge,
enable drug discovery, improve manufacturing processes, and protect people and
the environment with instruments, scientific equipment and integrated software
solutions. Based in Waltham, Massachusetts, Thermo Electron has revenues of more
than $2 billion, and employs approximately 11,000 people in 30 countries
worldwide. For more information, visit www.thermo.com.


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