Interview with
Katayama Chemical Industries Co., Ltd.
Minoh office R&D team Sciences“Inspect pipettes easily in-house. Make pipette accuracy
management simpler and less time-consuming.”

BM-014: Pipette accuracy testing kit

Katayama Chemical Industries has long been producing chemicals centering on reagents
since their inception in 1918.
They apply their technology to advance into fields such as preventive medicine,environmental analysis and fundamental research in biotechnology.
As they develop unique, niche and high-value-added products in the growing life sciencefield, they use A&D’ s pipette accuracy tester and leak tester as well as our high-precision
analytical balance.

Takaaki Otani, R&D Manager

R&D TeamYasunori Yamashita, Yuki Sugihara, Yui Hiramatsu

For developing reagents, we take great care in managing the accuracy of ourequipment.
First, please tell us the purpose of building this new department.
Otani: In 2003, we established a new department devoted to reagents for biotechnology-related research tostart our second business. As a participant in the regional cluster network1, we promoted our businessby introducing technologies developed by academic research organizations. This was a pioneer of what
is now called Open Innovation2. Major companies would still conduct research and development
in-house at that time.
What exactly did you develop?
Yamashita: We looked at the application of nanoparticles and received a license to use patent related toliposome3-based drug delivery system technology from AIST4, which also sent researchers to us fortechnical guidance. As a result, we were able to achieve the commercialization of GLYCOLIPO™, amolecular imaging reagent based on targeting liposome, in a short term.
Otani: Our GLYCOLIPO™ Technology mimics white blood cells, a kind of vivo molecular. It gives liposome
directional characteristics toward specific molecular targets by chemically decorating the surface of theliposome with various recognition probes such as antibodies and sugar chains. Various substances canbe enclosed inside the liposome. It can, therefore, be used as a tool for bio-imaging and, by enclosing
drugs, as a carrier for drug transport.

Precision and concentration seem essential for product development in the invisible
nanoworld.
Hiramatsu: Correct. Accuracy management of analytical devices is vital in the invisible nanoworld. Operators arevery careful when using these devices. In particular, they would spend considerable time testing pipetteaccuracy and reporting the results as they used a classical method.

If only we had A&D’ s pipette accuracy tester earlier.
You use the BM-252 semi-micro analytical balance, don't you?
Sugihara: Yes. We use the BM-252 because the 250g capacity is perfect for our work. We also use the AD-1671
anti-vibration table so we feel comfortable and assured that we can perform accurate measurements.
Yamashita: We are also very happy that the balance is equipped with a fanless ionizer to remove static electricity.
Especially in a dry season like winter, a balance without an ionizer is of no use.
Sugihara: The internal calibration weight also gives us peace of mind.
And you use pipette accuracy and leak testers as well?
Otani: We purchased the BM-014 pipette accuracy testing kit and AD-1690
leak tester on the recommendation of an A&D’ s salesperson andwere surprised at its effectiveness. Previously the pipette accuracy
management required substantial time and extreme caution.
The BM-014 made periodic checks much easier. And the AD-1690 has
been convenient for daily checks.
Sugihara: Our office has more than 20 pipettes, so these devices have saved usa lot of work and time. Small capacity pipettes are especially difficult
to handle, and we had to be really careful when testing their accuracy.
To be honest, we sometimes found it quite a pain to do the test.

Pipette accuracy test using the BM series

Hiramatsu: We also use them in training for the new employees.
What specifically does that involve?
Hiramatsu: The software helps instill basic skills as it allows us to set acceptability criteria. Thanks to that, evenour new employees make almost no errors now. If only we had such a useful tool like this earlier.

Contributing to society by creating valuable technological knowledge,valuable products, and by providing valuable services.
What are your future goals?
Otani: The life science field is changing rapidly. By helping our customers' research and development
processes, we want to create valuable technical knowledge and products and provide valuable services,as our philosophy of management states. We consider it our mission as a reagent maker to drive theresearch reagent market with new technologies.
Yamashita: We want to compete on the global scale taking advantage of the flexibility offered to us by our company
size.
We would like to thank Katayama Chemical Industries for taking the time to do thisinterview.

(Interviewer: A&D Company, Limited Sales Promotion Division)Note 1: Regional Cluster Network: An organization that seeks to create new values through cooperation and competition among enterprises,universities, research foundations and government organizations that aggregate geographically.
Note 2: Open Innovation: Allowing R&D to take place in conjunction with sources outside of one’ s own business; i.e. using technology developed byanother company by buying the relevant patents or the company itself, or letting another company use one's intellectual properties todevelop new products. It has potentials for reducing the risk and the time of development.
Note 3: Liposome: Artificially formed lipid membrane particles. Used as model for the lipid bilayer membrane structure of cells, drug delivery
system (DDS), etc.
Note 4: AIST: National Institute of Advanced Industrial Science and Technology

Cooperation
Katayama Chemical Industries Co., Ltd.
Head office location 2-5-10, Dosho Machi, Chuo Ward, Osaka
Minoh office
4-1-7, Ina, Minoh City, Osaka
EstablishedApr 14, 1918
President
Hideki Katayama
Capital30,000,000 yen
Employees
170 (As of Jun 28, 2018)

A&D Company, Ltd.
3-23-14 Higashi-Ikebukuro,
Toshima-ku, Tokyo 170-0013 JAPAN
Telephone: [81] (3) 5391-6132
Fax: [81] (3) 5391-1566

www.aandd.jp