A FAST-GROWING Amesbury company has won a Queen’s Award for Enterprise for International Trade.

Biotechnology company NanoSight produces nanoparticle characterisation technology, which is being increasingly used in the pharmaceutical and life sciences industries.

The company was founded in 2004 by Dr Bob Carr and John Knowles after Dr Carr discovered a technology which allows particles so small they are below the normal optical microscope limit to be seen, sized and counted in less than a minute.

The technology comes at a fraction of the cost of electron microscopes and there are now 450 NanoSight instruments in use worldwide.

Since 2005, the company has grown by 70 per cent year on year and now employs 25 people.

It is based at Minton Park in London Road, Amesbury but has customers all over the world.

“While we have naturally been proud of our progress to date, being considered worthy of such recognition as the Queen’s Award really does give us a huge boost in confidence and enthusiasm,” said Dr Carr.

“It is particularly exciting to see the response of international colleagues and customers.”

The company is looking forward to a bright future after EU laws last year suggested companies will have to measure the size and number of nanomaterials in their products.

NanoSight has also developed nanoparticle tracking analysis technology, which has become increasingly in demand.