Neil Cook, Ph.D., has been appointed to the new position of vice president, global research and development, and chief scientific officer for PerkinElmer Life Sciences. . . . Nanosys Inc., the leader in nanotechnology-enabled systems, has closed a $15 million Series B financing by five top-tier venture capital firms. Nanosys also finalized an agreement with Alexandria Real Estate Equities, who participated in the financing round, to lease a laboratory facility in Palo Alto, Calif. for its corporate headquarters. Nanosys will maintain its laboratory in Boston.