Wetzlar, Germany; Liechtenstein; Vienna, Austria 2/21/08—Leica Microsystems, a Danaher company, has acquired Bal-Tec AG, a provider of sample preparation equipment for scanning electron microscopy (EM). Leica will manage the new business from its Ultramicrotomy facility in Vienna, Austria. “Leica Microsystems was already a leader in key segments of the EM sample preparation market and now, with the acquisition of Bal-Tec AG, is consolidating its technological lead and extending its portfolio, offering high-quality products and excellent customer service,” stated Stefan David, manager of Leica Microsystems in Vienna. Leica stated it is now the only vendor to offer electron microscope sample preparation products for both biological and materials samples.