Recently Fluid Imaging Technologies was acquired by Yokogawa Corporation of Japan. We are now called Yokogawa Fluid Imaging Technologies (YFT). We are excited to be a part of something bigger than ourselves and optimistic about the transformation and growth opportunities this affords us. We now have more resources to pursue new product development, as well as enhancements to our existing FlowCam and VisualSpreadsheet products.
This past weekend, those of us in the Northern Hemisphere celebrated the Summer Solstice and a new moon. It is a time of new beginnings, and significant shifts to how we move about in our work, in our lives, and on this planet.
Sending a message of health and safety, and peace.
Best Regards,
Cybele Brooks
Marketing Director
Collage of the Quarter
Pictured above are images from the FlowCam Cyano sampled from a reservoir in New Jersey. The images are sorted based on fluorescent ratio. This tool is used by utilities and monitoring agencies to automatically screen for cyanobacteria and nuisance algae by sorting groups based on the relative abundance of phycocyanin and chlorophyll.
The Return of the FlowCam Student Grant Program
Are you studying marine, freshwater or estuarine ecosystems with a focus on microorganisms or other particles? Wouldn't you love a method to streamline your research and speed up the tedious process of manual microscopy?
We are renewing our decade-old grant program after a 4-year hiatus and adding a new program for undergraduate students and professors.
Applicants who submit their research proposal will have an opportunity to win the use of a FlowCam for up to 4 months, plus remote software licenses, training and ongoing technical support. Additionally, the winner will receive registration and travel funding to attend a scientific conference in North America, such as ASLO Aquatic Sciences Meeting, within 12 months of project completion.
Most organizations who are considering the purchase of a FlowCam ask themselves this question: how does the FlowCam compare to traditional light microscopy? They know that using a FlowCam is faster than using a microscope, and it's possible to produce larger amounts of data, but is the FlowCam as accurate?
Can it correctly calculate biomass, biovolume, and identify organisms? We don't want you to take our word for it, so we have gathered a selection of published studies that explore this very question. Please enjoy these summaries, and feel free to contact us for access to the full papers.
Introducing FlowCam University
We are pleased to announce the launch of FlowCam University, our newest training option for our customers! FlowCam University is an online, on-demand platform where you can enroll in a course of your choice.
Courses are designed for new and returning customers which makes them perfect for training new FlowCam users, anytime, anyplace. This online option is also considerably less expensive than in-person training or 1:1 remote sessions.
Aker BioMarine Purchases FlowCam for use on Krill Harvesting Vessel - Antarctic Endurance
Aker BioMarine (ABM) is a biotech, fishing, marine research and krill harvesting company. They recently purchased a FlowCam for use on their krill harvesting vessel, the Antarctic Endurance. They plan to use the FlowCam to monitor the phytoplankton that the krill eat, in order to maintain a sustainable krill fishery.
The FlowCam Cyano for Automated Analysis of Algae and Cyanobacteria
Congratulations to Nicholas Ray from the Fulweiler Lab at Boston University for completing his Ph.D. and presenting his thesis seminar 'virtually' on March 23rd. Nick was the 2016 recipient of our FlowCam Student Equipment Grant. His work focuses on how the restoration of oyster reefs affects coastal nutrient cycling and greenhouse gas emissions, and drew an audience of over 100 people. Despite social distancing and the closure of many research institutions, this is an admirable example of a Ph.D. student successfully presenting his work remotely.
The Tara Ocean Foundation has mounted a collective effort to study the effect of climate change on the world's oceans. The Foundation owns 3 FlowCams, one of which lives onboard Tara, their 36 meter sailing vessel, and has been used to analyze microplankton on their expeditions since 2012.
They recently published a paper in Nature Reviews Microbiology titled "Tara Oceans: towards global ocean ecosystems biology". Click below to access the paper and learn more about the progress made by this multi-year, multi-disciplinary project.
New Streamlined FlowCam Supports Shellfish Aquaculture
In order to reduce unnecessary travel and keep our team safe, we have canceled our foreseeable conference appearances. In lieu of attending the Annual Meeting of the National Shellfisheries Association this spring, they provided us a platform to tell the story of the FlowCam and how it can benefit the Shellfish Aquaculture Industry. What follows here is taken from their quarterly newsletter and explains how the new FlowCam 5000 can support this industry.
Fluid Imaging Technologies Acquired by Yokogawa Electric Corporation
We are excited to announce that on April 8th, Fluid Imaging Technologies was acquired by Yokogawa Electric Corporation of Tokyo, Japan.
As FIT joins the Yokogawa Group, Yokogawa will be able to expand its portfolio of cell observation and particle analysis solutions offered by its life innovation business, and thereby strengthen its business targeting the bioeconomy market.
We remain committed to our core aquatic research business and partnerships that began 20 years ago at Bigelow Labs, and we plan to maintain our offices in Scarborough, Maine. We will continue to support you with the same world class technical customer support and after-market sales that you have come to know and appreciate. Please reach out if you have any questions.
As we make our way back to our work places, here is a gentle reminder about the importance of hand washing. FlowCam shows you the germs we carry on our hands.