WALTHAM, Mass.--(BUSINESS WIRE)--Aug 28, 2025--
Thermo Fisher Scientific Inc., the world leader in serving science, is proud to receive three R&D 100 Awards for innovations designed to advance scientific discovery in critical areas like precision medicine and cell and gene therapy research and development. All three awarded products were recognized in the Analytical/Test category, which highlights breakthroughs in instrumentation, imaging, testing systems, laboratory equipment and life sciences technologies, demonstrating Thermo Fisher’s commitment to advancing groundbreaking research.
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The Thermo Scientific™ Stellar™ Mass Spectrometer * (MS) sets a new benchmark for precision in biomarker research. With ten times greater sensitivity when analyzing five times more compounds than traditional systems, it empowers researchers to quickly confirm and verify candidate drugs and biomarker molecules including peptides, metabolites and lipids. This breakthrough accelerates insights in fields such as translational omics, toxicology and bioanalysis—helping drive the development of advanced therapies for complex diseases and supporting progress in precision medicine and biopharmaceutical innovation.
The Thermo Scientific™ KingFisher™ PlasmidPro Maxi Processor * (PlasmidPro) is the first fully automated system for large-scale plasmid DNA purification, delivering high-quality DNA in just 75 minutes—half the time of conventional methods. Its all-in-one cartridge design eliminates extra equipment, reduces contamination risk, and streamlines workflows. By automating a critical step in plasmid DNA production, PlasmidPro frees up researchers’ time and supports the growing demand for DNA used in next-generation therapies, accelerating the pace of discovery and development.
The SteriSEQ™ Rapid Sterility Testing Kit * speeds up cell therapy development while enhancing patient safety. Using advanced real-time PCR technology, it detects bacteria and fungi simultaneously with only minimal sample input, delivering reliable results in less than 24 hours. This rapid, simple workflow allows manufacturers to catch contamination early, optimize sample use and shorten time-to-treatment—helping ensure that innovative cell therapies reach patients faster and more safely.
“Our Mission drives our innovation, ensuring we’re delivering solutions that help push our customers’ discovery forward and expand the boundaries of science,” said Karen Nelson, chief scientific officer, Thermo Fisher Scientific. “We are honored to be recognized for our commitment to helping drive scientific progress through advanced technology. From realizing the potential of precision medicine to automating time-consuming workflows and ensuring the safety of treatments, we’re proud to help scientists achieve deeper insights, faster timelines and safer products as we work together to bring life-changing therapies to patients.”
Established in 1963, the R&D 100 Awards is the only science and technology awards competition that recognizes new commercial products, technologies and materials that are available for sale or license for their technological significance. Sponsored by R&D World Magazine, the R&D 100 Awards recognize and celebrate the 100 most innovative technologies of the previous year. Now in its 63 rd year, the 2025 judging panel featured 54 respected industry professionals from across the globe.
*For Research Use Only. Not for use in diagnostic procedures.
About Thermo Fisher Scientific
Thermo Fisher Scientific Inc. is the world leader in serving science, with annual revenue over $40 billion. Our Mission is to enable our customers to make the world healthier, cleaner and safer. Whether our customers are accelerating life sciences research, solving complex analytical challenges, increasing productivity in their laboratories, improving patient health through diagnostics or the development and manufacture of life-changing therapies, we are here to support them. Our global team delivers an unrivaled combination of innovative technologies, purchasing convenience and pharmaceutical services through our industry-leading brands, including Thermo Scientific, Applied Biosystems, Invitrogen, Fisher Scientific, Unity Lab Services, Patheon and PPD. For more information, please visit www.thermofisher.com.
Thermo Fisher Scientific Secures R&D 100 Awards for Innovations Accelerating the Discovery and Development of Therapies
WASHINGTON (AP) — U.S. forces in the Caribbean Sea have seized another sanctioned oil tanker that the Trump administration says has ties to Venezuela, part of a broader U.S. effort to take control of the South American country’s oil.
The U.S. Coast Guard boarded the tanker, named Veronica, early Thursday, Homeland Security Secretary Kristi Noem wrote on social media. The ship had previously passed through Venezuelan waters and was operating in defiance of President Donald Trump’s "established quarantine of sanctioned vessels in the Caribbean,” she said.
U.S. Southern Command said Marines and sailors launched from the aircraft carrier USS Gerald R. Ford to take part in the operation alongside a Coast Guard tactical team, which Noem said conducted the boarding as in previous raids. The military said the ship was seized “without incident.”
Several U.S. government social media accounts posted brief videos that appeared to show various parts of the ship’s capture. Black-and-white footage showed at least four helicopters approaching the ship before hovering over the deck while armed troops dropped down by rope. At least nine people could be seen on the deck of the ship.
The Veronica is the sixth sanctioned tanker seized by U.S. forces as part of the effort by Trump’s administration to control the production, refining and global distribution of Venezuela’s oil products and the fourth since the U.S. ouster of Venezuela President Nicolás Maduro in a surprise nighttime raid almost two weeks ago.
The Veronica last transmitted its location on Jan. 3 as being at anchor off the coast of Aruba, just north of Venezuela’s main oil terminal. According to the data it transmitted at the time, the ship was partially filled with crude.
Days later, the Veronica became one of at least 16 tankers that left the Venezuelan coast in contravention of the quarantine that U.S. forces have set up to block sanctioned ships, according to Samir Madani, the co-founder of TankerTrackers.com. He said his organization used satellite imagery and surface-level photos to document the ship movements.
The ship is currently listed as flying the flag of Guyana and is considered part of the shadow fleet that moves cargoes of oil in violation of U.S. sanctions.
According to its registration data, the ship also has been known as the Gallileo, owned and managed by a company in Russia. In addition, a tanker with the same registration number previously sailed under the name Pegas and was sanctioned by the Treasury Department for being associated with a Russian company moving cargoes of illicit oil.
As with prior posts about such raids, Noem and the military framed the seizure as part of an effort to enforce the law. Noem argued that the multiple captures show that “there is no outrunning or escaping American justice.”
Speaking to reporters at the White House later Thursday, Noem declined to say how many sanctioned oil tankers the U.S. is tracking or whether the government is keeping tabs on freighters beyond the Caribbean Sea.
“I can’t speak to the specifics of the operation, although we are watching the entire shadow fleet and how they’re moving,” she told reporters.
But other officials in Trump's Republican administration have made clear they see the actions as a way to generate cash as they seek to rebuild Venezuela’s battered oil industry and restore its economy.
Trump met with executives from oil companies last week to discuss his goal of investing $100 billion in Venezuela to repair and upgrade its oil production and distribution. His administration has said it expects to sell at least 30 million to 50 million barrels of sanctioned Venezuelan oil.
Associated Press writer Ben Finley contributed to this report.
This story has been corrected to show the Veronica is the fourth, not the third, tanker seized by U.S. forces since Maduro’s capture and the ship also has been known as the Gallileo, not the Galileo.
Homeland Security Secretary Kristi Noem speaks with reporters at the White House, Thursday, Jan. 15, 2026, in Washington. (AP Photo/Alex Brandon)
Homeland Security Secretary Kristi Noem speaks with reporters at the White House, Thursday, Jan. 15, 2026, in Washington. (AP Photo/Evan Vucci)
Homeland Security Secretary Kristi Noem speaks with reporters at the White House, Thursday, Jan. 15, 2026, in Washington. (AP Photo/Evan Vucci)
Homeland Security Secretary Kristi Noem speaks with reporters at the White House, Thursday, Jan. 15, 2026, in Washington. (AP Photo/Evan Vucci)
Homeland Security Secretary Kristi Noem speaks with reporters at the White House, Thursday, Jan. 15, 2026, in Washington. (AP Photo/Evan Vucci)
U.S. Homeland Security Secretary Kristi Noem speaks during a press conference, Thursday, Jan. 8, 2026, in New York. (AP Photo/Yuki Iwamura)
U.S. Homeland Security Secretary Kristi Noem speaks at a news conference at Harry Reid International Airport, Nov. 22, 2025, in Las Vegas. (AP Photo/Ronda Churchill, File)
