Bruker announced the official opening of a new Preclinical Imaging Center of Excellence for the Americas in Billerica, Massachusetts. The facility offers advanced development, demonstration and support facilities for Bruker's industry-leading portfolio of preclinical imaging instrumentation and multimodal platforms. In showcasing both the individual imaging technologies and the benefits gained from combining multimodal experiments, the Center will play a key role in promoting the successful application of complementary imaging information in preclinical research in oncology, cardiology, inflammation, musculoskeletal imaging and the neurosciences. The new Bruker Center of Excellence represents a significant global infrastructure expansion for all technical R&D, support and demonstration centers worldwide.

Located at Bruker's headquarters in Billerica, the new center features dedicated lab space for showcasing the latest preclinical imaging technologies and multimodal platforms, together with tissue culture and in vivo subject handling capabilities. Utilizing Bruker's preclinical instruments for demonstration and applications development in a single site, visiting customers and Bruker scientists will be able to offer unparalleled levels of support and training, and provide access to new combinations of imaging modalities. Multiple modalities such as optical imaging and X-ray, or PET and MRI enable researchers to acquire complementary image information, e.g. on morphology and function, which is vital in the further development of medical sciences and translational research.

The new PCI Center provides access to MRI instruments including a 7 Tesla BioSpec(R) MRI system with a unique MRI CryoProbe(TM), and an ICON(TM) compact, benchtop MRI system. Micro computed X-ray tomography (uCT) is covered by several models, including the in vivo Skyscan(TM) 1176 and in vitro Skyscan 1272. The PCI lab also features four optical molecular imaging systems for fluorescence, luminescence, planar x-ray and planar radio-isotopic imaging experiments, with two in vivo Xtreme(TM) optical systems and two MS FX PRO(TM) optical imaging systems. The lab benefits from a new electron paramagnetic resonance imaging (EPRI) system, and a minispec(TM) system for body composition analysis.

A crucial component of employing multi-modality imaging in most research environments is having a comprehensive suite of imaging technologies that include reliable co-registration devices. Bruker's multimodal animal beds enable flexible and versatile analyses of various animal models based on an easy and productive workflow. On the Bruker Billerica campus, several MALDI mass spectrometry imaging systems are accessible for in vitro small molecule, lipids or peptide/protein spectroscopic imaging.

Additionally, a Bruker Albira II PET/SPECT/CT preclinical imaging system is located nearby at Boston Children's Hospital, with access to PET and SPECT isotopes.