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AHURA SCIENTIFIC FEATURED IN SENATE HEARING SHOWCASING COUNTER-WMD CAPABILITIES

Company’s FirstDefender product included in technology demonstration on Capitol Hill

WILMINGTON, Mass. and WASHINGTON, D.C. — March 17, 2008 — Ahura Scientific, Inc., a leader in rugged, ultra-compact, handheld instruments for chemical identification, announced its flagship product FirstDefender™, a system designed for use by first responders, homeland security, military, law enforcement and forensic chemistry personnel, was demonstrated in front of the Senate Subcommittee on Emerging Threats and Capabilities on Wednesday, March 12.

Participants in the Subcommittee hearing included: Dr. James A. Tegnelia, Director, Defense Threat Reduction Agency, and Director, U.S. Strategic Command Center for Combating Weapons of Mass Destruction; Major General Stephen V. Reeves, Joint Program Executive Officer for Chemical and Biological Defense Department of Defense; and Dr. T. Jan Cerveny, Assistant Deputy Administrator for Nonproliferation Research and Engineering, National Nuclear Security Administration Department of Energy. FirstDefender was showcased as example of the agencies’ preparedness for threats, including WMDs and the malicious use of toxic industrial chemicals (TICs).

"Ahura Scientific is an impressive example of successful cooperation between private industry and government,” said Massachusetts Senator Edward M. Kennedy. "I’m delighted to hear that the Defense Department has chosen the company’s technology as an example of the military’s best counter-proliferation equipment. It’s a tribute to the company’s skills and commitment, and I’m confident that it will continue to be at the forefront in preparing our soldiers for the threats of the battlefield.”

Ahura Scientific is a vanguard in the emerging market for handheld chemical detection, identification and authentication instruments. By leveraging technological innovations based upon proven fundamental spectroscopic sciences, such as Raman and Fourier-Transform Infrared (FTIR), the company has created a portfolio that includes a set of features and a level of accuracy previously unavailable in a handheld unit.

“We’re pleased to be meeting the high standards of the Department of Defense and to have had our product selected for demonstration to the U.S Senate,” said Doug Kahn, Chairman and CEO of Ahura Scientific.

Members of the Senate Armed Services Emerging Technologies subcommittee include:

  • Senator Reed Subcommittee Chairman
  • Senator Kennedy
  • Senator Byrd
  • Senator Nelson (Florida)
  • Senator Nelson (Nebraska)
  • Senator Bayh
  • Senator Clinton
  • Senator Dole Ranking Member
  • Senator Warner
  • Senator Collins
  • Senator Graham
  • Senator Cornyn
  • Senator Martinez

About Ahura Scientific, Inc.
Ahura Scientific Inc. develops rugged, ultra-compact, field-enabled optical systems for the immediate identification and authentication of liquid and solid chemical substances. Customers include agencies and companies in the homeland security, life sciences, industrial and medical markets. Manufactured in the USA in an ISO 9001-certified facility, the company's products offer exceptional portability and unparalleled performance. For more information, visit www.ahurascientific.com.

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Media Contact:

Kerstin Barr, Ahura Scientific, Inc.

978-642-2547 phone
kbarr@ahurascientific.com