Wyatt Technology Corporation Wins SBA’s Tibetts Award for Advanced Technological Innovations

(SANTA BARBARA, CALIFORNIA - February 15, 2011) 

Tibbetts Awards honor projects that bring federal R&D from the lab to the market

The Wyatt Technology Corporation today announced that it has received one of the prestigious Tibbetts Awards from the Small Business Administration (SBA) for its role as the world’s leading provider of analytical light scattering instrumentation. The Small Business Administration  presents the awards (also knows as “Tibbies”) to companies and individuals that have advanced technological innovation and economic growth.

“An SBIR award by the Department of Defense in 1982 enabled me to found Wyatt Technology,” said Wyatt Technology CEO, Dr. Philip J. Wyatt. “We were able to use the special instruments developed during that program to form the basis for a new line of laser-based instruments that eventually would revolutionize the means by which scientists throughout the world would analyze their samples.”

By the time the contract’s 2nd Phase ended in 1984, and with the full-time participation of the two Wyatt sons, Geof and Cliff, Wyatt Technology was well on its way to changing from a one-man operation to becoming the world’s leading developer and manufacturer these specialized instruments. 

By 2011, Wyatt Technology’s instruments had been deployed in the laboratories of: 

• 8 Nobel Prize winners, 
• 25 members of the National Academy of Sciences
• 25 Howard Hughes Medical Investigators

These, in addition to most of the world’s leading biotechnology, petrochemical, chemical, and industrial companies, as well as the most prestigious universities and national laboratories on the planet. 

The Tibbetts Awards are made based on three criteria:

• Technical innovation – e.g., how the technical innovation has advanced national priorities in R&D, how the technical innovation has benefited the federal government or private citizens
• Business impact - e.g., job creation and retention, revenue growth, successful acquisition or financial exit
• Broader social and economic benefit – e.g., encouraging women and minority participation in R&D, supporting regional economic development, creating connections to local universities

Dr. Wyatt accepted the award at a ceremony this morning in Washington, DC. Afterward, he met with SBA Administrator, Karen Mills, and attended a reception at the White House.

“This is a great day not only for Wyatt Technology and its team members, but also for the city of Santa Barbara” said Sean Greene, SBA’s Associate Administrator for Investment and Senior Adviser for Innovation. “Companies like Wyatt Technology represent the best in American ingenuity.”

(SANTA BARBARA, CALIFORNIA - January 5 2011) - Wyatt Technology Corporation, the world leader in absolute macromolecular characterization instrumentation and software, announces that its instruments were used in a recent landmark study that transforms the previous scientific understanding of immunity to viral diseases like the common cold, 'winter vomiting' and gastroenteritis. The breakthrough research carried out by the United Kingdom's Medical Research Council Laboratory of Molecular Biology (MRC LMB) demonstrates the ability of tripartite motif-containing 21 (TRIM21) to neutralize viral infection. Wyatt Technology's Multi-Angle Light Scattering (MALS) detectors were used to monitor the interaction between TRIM21 and Immunoglobulin G (IgG).

Viruses such as the common cold, AIDS and some forms of cancer are among the hardest diseases to treat and are adept at avoiding recognition by changing their molecular patterns. Antibodies were originally thought to only offer extracellular protection and were helpless against the virus once it had entered the cytosol of a cell. However, the new study published by the MRC LMB shows that antibodies remain attached to viruses after cell infection and provide effective antiviral immunity.

The Wyatt Technology Heleos II instrument coupled to the Wyatt Technology Optilab rEX online refractive index detector were used to identify the positive interaction between a cytosolic IgG receptor, TRIM21 and IgG. Scientists discovered that TRIM 21 binds to antibodies with a higher affinity than any other IgG receptor in the human body and once activated begins to rapidly degrade virions in the cytosol, neutralizing the infection.

"We use light scattering in a range of projects at LMB. Much of this work targets fundamental unanswered questions in structural biology that has no obvious impact on general health and well-being. It is testament to the MRC that they continue to fund curiosity-driven research in this way. The discovery of TRIM21 and its role in immunity is an example of how such research can lead to potential applications in human health", comments co-author of the manuscript, Dr. Chris Johnson.

"Wyatt Technology is definitely the leader in the field of light scattering", continues Dr. Johnson. "From a performance and technical standpoint as well as from an after sales and support angle. In protein chemistry, Wyatt Technology instrumentation coupled to size exclusion chromatography is a powerful tool to determine particle mass, purity and even shape."

The paper was published in Proceedings of the National Academy of Sciences of the United States of America (PNAS) and is available online via 10.1073/pnas.1014074107

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Dr. Steven Trainoff, Wyatt Technology Corporation's, Director of Engineering, elected to Fellow of the American Physical Society

SANTA BARBARA, CALIFORNIA (November 16, 2009) - Wyatt Technology Corporation, the world leader in molecular and nanoparticle characterization products, announces that Dr. Steven P. Trainoff, the Director of Engineering of Wyatt Technology Corporation (WTC), was elected to Fellowship in the American Physical Society (APS) at its November 2009 meeting. The election of Dr. Trainoff by the APS Council, upon the recommendation of the Forum on Industrial and Applied Physics, was in recognition of his outstanding contributions to Physics. Less than one half of one percent of APS members is given this distinct honor. In particular, Dr. Trainoff is being recognized for his exceptional contributions to the development of analytical instrumentation whose worldwide use will continue to play a major role in the health and well-being of us all.

Dr. Philip Wyatt, WTC's CEO commented "The continuing leadership of the Company's world class products is due in large measure to the innovative skills of Steve and his other remarkable colleagues at WTC. We are most proud of the Company's exceptional technical staff and the world class products that they continue to develop."

The Fellowship will be awarded formally at the March 2010 meeting of the American Physical Society.

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2009 American Physical Society Prize for Industrial Application of Physics!

The CEO of Wyatt Technology receives 2009 American Physical Society Prize for Industrial Application of Physics

SANTA BARBARA, CALIFORNIA (December 2, 2008) - Wyatt Technology Corporation, the world leader in molecular and nanoparticle characterization products, announces that Dr. Philip J. Wyatt, the CEO and founder of Wyatt Technology Corporation has been awarded the 2009 Prize for Industrial Application of Physics by the American Physical Society (APS).

By leading the commercialization of laser light scattering, a technology of considerable  practical importance for the chemical and pharmaceutical industries as well as numerous academic research programs, Dr. Wyatt has been selected to receive the prize sponsored by the General Motors Corporation and established by the Executive Board of the American Physical Society to acknowledge industrial applications of physics with an intention to publicize the value of physics for industrial development. Dr. Wyatt was the sole award recipient selected by the committee from five finalists of the 16 preliminary nominations. The prize will be presented at the APS March 2009 annual meeting in Pittsburgh, PA, at a special Ceremonial Session with the citation,

"For pioneering developments in the physics of the inverse scattering problem: new applications of laser light scattering and the successful sustained commercialization of new related analytical methods and instrumentation."

Simply stated, the Inverse Scattering Problem concerns the problem of determining the characteristics of an object (its shape, internal structure, etc.) from measurement of light scattered from it into a broad range of scattering angles. Dr. Wyatt began his investigations of the practical applications of the inverse scattering problem in 1967 with studies of means to differentiate bacterial species from one another. Together with his colleagues, most importantly Dr. David T. Phillips, he modified a traditional light scattering photometer to incorporate a laser light source. This instrument prototype was then used to measure a variety of physical and structural properties of bacterial cells in solution. These early studies included the effects of temperature, as well as antimicrobials on such cells within a few minutes. This instrumentation was then further extended to permit such scattering measurements to be made and interpreted from scattering by single particles. These included bacteria, spores, photochemical smog particles, and fly ash particles. Early laser-based commercial instruments were then developed and sold starting in 1971 by the firm Science Spectrum, which he founded in 1968. There was very little commercial interest in these products during their introductory years, and the company finally closed in 1981.

Dr. Wyatt founded Wyatt Technology in 1982 to develop, manufacture, and market a new class of laser-based analytical instruments. These instruments incorporated the concept of making simultaneous measurements of light scattered from solutions, and even single particles, into a broad range of scattering angles. Such measurements are referred to generally by the term multi-angle light scattering or, simply, MALS. The instruments are mainly used to develop new polymers, nanoparticles, and pharmaceuticals. By the turn of the century, the product line had expanded to include refractometers and devices to fractionate liquid dispersed samples. The application of Wyatt Technology's multi-angle light scattering photometers in pharmaceutical industry demonstrates the potential of such instruments in the development of new biologicals.

This year, Wyatt Technology was been selected as one of the "Best Places to Work" for scientists by both The Scientist and Chemical & Engineering News. Dr. Wyatt pointed out that the company's philosophy of delighting its customers begins with the work environment of his colleagues: "The excitement and enthusiasm of our staff are affected directly by the environment in which they work. Since our primary focus is on our customers, we cannot be successful in fulfilling our commitment to them unless our staff is fully supportive of one another." Employees are encouraged to submit in confidence weekly feedback to the company executives reviewing their activities of the prior week, their plans for the coming week, and relating any concerns or problems. Wyatt Technology received these honors because of its continuing efforts to establish a positive work environment for these colleagues.

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Yale University expands its Keck Biophysical Resource Center with more Wyatt instruments
http://medicine.yale.edu/keck/biophysics/index.aspx 

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USC's NanoBiophysics Core Facility adds Wyatt instruments
http://college.usc.edu/nanobiophysicscore/instrumentation/light_scattering.cfm

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2007 China National Friendship award given to University of California Davis customer and Wyatt MALS user Dr. Charles Shoemaker

Dr. Charles Shoemaker of University of California Davis was awarded the China National Friendship award in 2007 for his help in teaching and research food science using his MALS instruments. Dr. Shoemaker exclaimed, "MALS earned me a seat beside the Premier!"

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Proterion Corporation Acquisition

Santa Barbara, CA November 17, 2004. Wyatt Technology announced today that it had acquired the assets of Proterion Corporation, the manufacturers of the popular line of DynaPro™ (Protein Solutions) dynamic light scattering instruments. The acquisition will immediately broaden the line of light scattering instruments Wyatt will manufacture and support.

Proterion's products, of which there are more than 1,000 installed systems worldwide, will now become part of the Wyatt Technology family. The manufacturing facility in High Wycombe, United Kingdom, as well as assets from the New Jersey offices of Proterion will be transferred to Wyatt Technology's headquarters in Santa Barbara. Several staff from the UK and New Jersey are also expected to join Wyatt Technology shortly.

Geofrey Wyatt, President said "We are excited by the prospect of integrating Proterion's products into our own offerings. Their instruments are in the most distinguished research labs worldwide. Given the strength of our marketing, sales and support, we expect that we will make the DynaPro™ instruments even more popular in the coming years."

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2004 South Santa Barbara County Small Business of the Year

Wyatt Technology, the industry leader in solutions for absolute macromolecular characterization, has been voted 2004 South Santa Barbara County Small Business of the Year at the Spirit of Small Business Awards in the Los Angeles District.

The awards are run annually by the Pacific Coast Business Times and the Los Angeles District United States Small Business Administration in order to reward sustainable enterprise, industry leadership and community awareness in small businesses in the Tri-County region.

Wyatt, a 22-year old family-run business, prides itself on its dynamism, enthusiasm and groundbreaking technology--all attributes synonymous with the spirit of this award. The company was eligible for two other categories but the panel felt that the company was community-orientated and reflected the technology focus of the region. It therefore decided to acknowledge Wyatt's achievements by presenting the company with this accolade.

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Silver Award Winner at Pittcon 2004, the Optilab rEX!

As the Editor's of PittCon wrote: Wyatt Technology picked up the Silver Award for its Optilab rEX extended range refractive index detector. Through a novel redesign of 40 year old RI detector technology, the company has developed an instrument with 256 times the detection power and up to 50 times the dynamic range of every other RI detector in existence today.