A SCIENCE-BASED business has invested a six-figure sum in an electron microscope that will allow its customers to examine wet materials for the first time.

Intertek MSG, based at The Wilton Centre on Teesside, which has customers across a range of sectors including the healthcare and chemical industries, has bought the electron microscope.

Previous electron microscopes enabled users to look in minute detail at only dried samples, but the new equipment can also examine wet materials.

The purchase was made jointly with fellow Wilton Centre tenant NanoCentral and will enable Intertek MSG to offer researchers the ability to examine an extended range of materials in greater detail.

Director Dr Simon Allen said: “Our work involves the investigation and analysis of products as diverse as aerospace composites, pharmaceuticals and medical devices.

“The new addition to our equipment ensures our scientists have the best available resource to help solve our customers’ problems and expand their businesses.”

He added: “For many years, electron microscopes have enabled us to look in minute detail at structures too small for a light microscope, but until now we could only study dry or dried samples.

“The exciting thing about our new analytical instrument is that for the first time we can also examine the micro-structures of wet materials.

This greatly expands the range of industries that we can support and is excellent news both for our business and our customers.”

Formerly part of ICI, Intertek MSG has been based at the Wilton Centre since the Seventies.