Nikon : Conclusion of Memorandum of Understanding for Collaboration with Oxford Nanopore Technologies Limited

Conclusion of Memorandum of Understanding for Collaboration with Oxford Nanopore Technologies Limited

May 6, 2021

TOKYO - Nikon Corporation (Nikon) and Oxford Nanopore Technologies Limited (CEO: Dr. Gordon Sanghera, hereinafter "Oxford Nanopore"), the UK-based company behind a new generation of DNA/RNA sequencing technology, have signed a memorandum of understanding to initiate a technology collaboration. The two companies plan to collaborate to bring together Nikon's world-class microscopic imaging solutions with Oxford Nanopore's sequencing technology, for potential deployment in end to end workflows in research and healthcare settings.

Oxford Nanopore has developed a new generation of sensing technology that can be used to sequence DNA and RNA. The technology uses nano-scale holes to analyse biological molecules. The technology is used extensively in scientific research, with broad potential future applications in healthcare and industrial analyses. The technology has played a key role in genomic surveillance of the virus that causes COVID- 19 in more than 85 countries, and its use is rapidly expanding in human and cancer genetics. It is the only sequencing technology that offers a combination of real-time analysis (for rapid insights), in fully scalable formats from pocket to population scale, for use in any environment. It can analyse native DNA/RNA and sequence any length of DNA/RNA fragment from short to ultra-long reads, resulting in the delivery of rich biological information.

Nikon's Healthcare Business is a core part of the organization, contributing to the fields of biological science and healthcare by using optical and precision technologies. Nikon's Healthcare Business includes three main solutions:

• Microscope Solutions: Visualizing biological phenomena and contributing to advances in biological science and medicine.
• Cell Solutions (Regenerative medicine/Drug discovery support): Providing solutions for problems in cell fields by using cell observation and image analysis technology.
• Ophthalmology Solutions: Opening up new possibilities in the field of ophthalmology with ultra- widefield retinal imaging.

"Oxford Nanopore's innovative sequencing DNA/RNA technology has been utilized in various scientific research around the world and Nikon's cutting-edge microscopic technology has been used extensively in the fields of biological science and healthcare. We are pleased to collaborate with Oxford Nanopore to grow and develop together in those fields," said Toshikazu Umatate, Representative Director and President of Nikon. "Our goal is to deliver high-impact applications by combining both technologies in integrated workflows."

"We are excited about our collaboration with Nikon, whose healthcare business already provides health- related insights that have potential to be further enhanced by rapid nanopore sequencing," said

Dr. Gordon Sanghera, CEO of Oxford Nanopore. "We are proud to partner with a company with such a long heritage in Japanese and international markets."

Oxford Nanopore Overview

Company Name	Oxford Nanopore Technologies Limited
Head Office	Gosling Building Edmund Halley Road Oxford Science Park OX4 4DQ, UK
CEO	Dr. Gordon Sanghera
Foundation (Year)	2005
Number of	Approximately 640
Employees
Main Businesses	Development, manufacturing, sales and servicing of biological analysis
technology, currently focused on devices for sequencing DNA/RNA