ARRAYJET, which makes specialised printers that can be used to speed up testing work for life sciences organisations, has won a AUS$400,000 (£220,000) contract from a flagship Australian research institute.

The Midlothian-based instrumentation firm will supply equipment that the Institute for Glycomics at Griffith University will use to help analyse the role that complex sugar molecules play in biological functions.

The institute said the Arrayjet Marathon Argus microarrayer will allow it to produce and analyse samples in much greater quantities and at faster speed than it can currently.

Arrayjet’s printers use inkjet printheads to print biological material – including the DNA from a single gene, or a single protein or antibody – onto glass slides to create microarrays.

Chief exective Iain McWilliam has said a single slide can be used to analyse tens of thousands of biomolecules.

Chris Davis, general manager at the Institute for Glycomics, said: “The speed, spot quality and superb batch-to-batch reproducibility of the Marathon Argus provides us with the reassurance we need to manufacture quality commercial glycoarrays for industry and academia.”

Arrayjet will also work with the institute to provide a consulting service for life science companies in the Asia-Pacific region based on its technology.

Welcoming the contract win, Mr McWilliam said: “We are building a solid customer base across the Asia Pacific Rim and for an SME with its headquarters in Midlothian, Scotland, we are delighted with our international reach and impact.”

The fall in the value of the pound since the UK voted last Thursday to leave the European Union has increased the sterling value of orders priced in currencies such as the Australian dollar.

Arrayjet won a £350,000 order from a Chinese life sciences company in March,

The company was set up in in 2000 with funding from Archangels, the Scottish business angel syndicate, and Scottish Enterprise.