Leipzig, 14.11.2006 - The Leipzig-based biotechnology company, AJ Roboscreen, has obtained approval from the EU TSE Reference Laboratory of an improved BetaPrionâ BSE EIA Test Kit. The analysis time has been markedly shortened from 3 hours 10 minutes to only 1 hour 40 minutes, which was possible based on the specific features of the kit. 'To our knowledge, this test is the fastest commercially available ELISA test for identification of prion diseases in cattle' said Dr. Awad Osman, CSO of AJ Roboscreen. The hugely shortened analysis time means a 25% to 30% cost saving for the customer. A further highlight is the extremely low error rate compared with competitor products, which has been maintained from the previous version. At the same time, an additional increase in sensitivity was achieved. The use of this kit could bring considerable savings for the state-controlled market for BSE, which is 10 million Euros in Germany alone. In Europe, because of legal requirements, about 12 million cattle slaughtered yearly need to be examined for BSE. This represents a market volume of about 50 to 60 million Euros. The company's aim is to take advantage of the product's much improved marketability in Germany and Europe. AJ Roboscreen GmbH, a company working in the area of "bio solutions" for the Analytik Jena GROUP, develops and manufactures diagnostic tests for nucleic acids and proteins. Development of the BSE kit was partly funded with grants from the European Fund for Regional Development (ERDF) and from the Free State of Saxony. www.aj-group.de With its international activities, the system supplier 'Analytik Jena GROUP' meets almost any demand within the analytical laboratory sector. The head of the Group is 'Analytik Jena AG' (ISIN: DE0005213508) whose core business is the development, production and distribution of state-of-the-art analytical solutions for the industry, environmental analyzing and medicine. The 'Analytik Jena GROUP' also includes various subsidiaries and branches with their own products, focussing on the development of special systems for the bioanalytical market. These include, among others, bio-instruments such as PCR, its product portfolio combining sample handling and a range of biochemical reagent kits for nucleic acid isolation and purification or the identification of BSE and bird flu agents. Moreover, special software solutions allow for the management and evaluation of all data records collected in the analytical lab. In addition to its instrument business, 'Analytik Jena GROUP' also offers the complete realization of investment projects, such as the all-in-one construction of entire hospitals and laboratories from project planning to turnkey finishing. Besides the services and products offered in the B-to-B market, 'Analytik Jena GROUP' offers high quality sighting equipment, binoculars and lighting technology for hunting, sports and outdoor activities. The main clients of the company founded in 1990 are well-known companies from all industrial sectors, as well as universities and research institutions in more than 70 countries. The Group currently employs more than 500 staff. Contact details: For Analytik Jena GROUP For product information: information: Dr. Thomas Köhler Thomas Fritsche CEO Company Communications AJ Roboscreen GmbH Analytik Jena AG Delitzscher Str. 135 Konrad Zuse Str. 1 D-04129 Leipzig, GERMANY D-07745 Jena, GERMANY Tel.: +49 (0) 341 / 9725970 Tel.: +49 (0) 3641 / 77 - 92 81 Fax.: +49 (0) 341 / 9725979 Fax.: +49 (0) 3641 / 77 - 99 88 Internet: Internet: www.aj-group.de www.aj-roboscreen.com E-Mail: [email protected] E-Mail: [email protected] --- End of Message --- WKN: 521350 ; ISIN: DE0005213508 ; Index: Prime All Share; Listed: Geregelter Markt in Frankfurter Wertpapierbörse, Prime Standard in Frankfurter Wertpapierbörse, Freiverkehr in Bayerische Börse München, Freiverkehr in Börse Berlin Bremen, Freiverkehr in Börse Düsseldorf, Freiverkehr in Börse Stuttgart, Freiverkehr in Hanseatische Wertpapierbörse zu Hamburg, Freiverkehr in Niedersächsische Börse zu Hannover;