From under the microscope to under the hammer
On 7 April the virtual hammer will fall on hundreds of nearly new analytical instruments and specialist equipment
Troostwijk Auctions has been instructed by the Forensic Science Service (FSS) to conduct an online auction sale of forensic science equipment following the closure of FSS facilities in Birmingham, Chepstow and Chorley. On Thursday 7 April 2011 the virtual hammer will fall on hundreds of nearly new analytical instruments and specialist forensic science equipment as part of the FSS’s ongoing transformation.
In addition to two scanning electron microscopes, Troostwijk Auctions is selling high power microscopes by Nikon, Leica, Leitz and Zeiss, including laser capture micro dissection microscopes, micro spectrophotometer microscopes, forensic solution comparison microscopes, GRIM microscopes for refractive index measurement, twin head training microscopes and microscopes with polarising, UV and halogen lights plus over 65 Nikon low power microscopes with Schott light sources.
‘We believe this is the first sale of its kind anywhere in the world. The vast array of exceptional quality equipment will attract interest from domestic and international buyers,’ said Troostwijk Auction’s UK managing director James Hague.
‘While some of the equipment is specialist to the forensic science fields, there are also hundreds of lots that will appeal to a wider audience working in a laboratory setting such as HPLCs, gas chromatographs, microscopes and laboratory furniture.’
Troostwijk president, Wim Dieker added: ‘The FSS has pioneered every major breakthrough in the field of DNA analysis in the criminal justice system and has brought ground-breaking techniques to crime fighting. This auction sale represents an opportunity for other forensic science laboratories and research centres to acquire state of the art technology for a fraction of the original purchase price.’
