ByChris Knox
The Journal

NEWCASTLE, UK — A LEADING biotech company hopes to use its technology to help fight occupational asthma in a wide range of industries.

Sedgefield-based Analytical Nano Technologies (ANTnano) is set to launch a new air analyser that gives real time measurements of the amount of enzymes being used in the manufacture of products such as bread, beer and household cleaning products.

Although the use of enzymes are vital to the production of these products, a high concentration of airborne particles can cause problems including rhinitis, conjunctivitis, eczema and asthma.

The problems are most common in the baking trade where the problem of bakers' lung is made worse by high volumes of flour dust which carries the enzymes.

Earlier this year, Berwick-based food factory General Mills had to pay over £600,000 to former staff forced to quit through ill health caused by the problem.

ANTnano's commercial manager Eamonn Cooney says that current technology only allows for retrospective results which can often be discovered too late to act upon.

The new analyser is being targeted at markets which ANTnano became exposed to through the purchase of Merseyside firm Newton Instrument Company in February this year, which manufactured the industry benchmark in air analyser equipment.

Mr Cooney said: "This technology is the first of its kind in the UK and will help address what has become a serious problem in a number of industries. We have been developing the product since we acquired Newton and are now ready to put it out to market.

"The size of the problem at General Mills just illustrates how dangerous the problem can be. Our technology will help to improve and constantly assess these working environments."

The firm, which was set up in 2004 to exploit technology developed at Sunderland University, now expects to double its 20-strong workforce over the next 14 months as a result of the new technology. Earlier this year it signed a £100,000- plus licensing agreement with Microarray of Manchester for exclusive worldwide distribution rights for its ground-breaking chemical detection technology, which can help detect the presence of bird flu and MRSA.

It now intends to grow its £14m turnover in order to launch on the Alternative Investment Market (AIM) by next year.

"We are working on new technologies all the time and hope to get these in as many countries as possible," Cooney said. "The new equipment gives us the ideal opportunity to expand worldwide within this part of the industry."

This will help address what has become a serious problem in a number of industries

Copyright 2008 Newcastle Chronicle & Journal Ltd.