Company Announcements

BioTime acquired ES Cell International, a provider of human embryonic stem cell technology, in May.

Under an OEM agreement, Exiqon A/S will package BioDiscovery’s array image analysis and data analysis and visualization software with its miRNA arrays.

Tocris Bioscience will distribute Jena Bioscience GmbH products in the US.

ZyGEM acquired in May MicroLab Diagnostics, a developer of microfluidic devices for rapid DNA testing.

Techne appointed Roeland Nusse, PhD, a professor at Stanford University’s Department of Developmental Biology, to its Board in May.

Hitachi Software and OriGene Technologies announced a comarketing agreement for their respective MasterPlex software and multiplex assays.

In June, Lonza entered into an exclusive licensing and supply agreement with California Stem Cell for pluripotent stem cell products and related media products. Lonza will also manufacture and distribute California Stem Cell’s media portfolio.

DV Biologics entered into an agreement with Systems Biosciences to develop human-derived disease-specific induced pluripotent stem cell (iPS) lines.

MP Biomedicals acquired ICPbio International, a protein biologics manufacturing company, in June.

Cellular Dynamics International and Promega entered into a research collaboration to validate stem cell–based in vitro assays for predicting drug-induced cardiotoxicity.

STEMCELL Technologies licensed from Stanford University a virus-free technique used for the generation of iPS, which it will commercialize as STEMcircles.

AnaSpec signed a distribution agreement with Bioeasy Diagnostica for Brazil.

Product Introductions

Thermo Fisher Scientific introduced the Thermo Scientific Pierce Graphite Spin Columns for the purification of phosphopeptides.

Thermo Fisher Scientific introduced the Thermo Scientific Pierce Detergent Removal Spin Columns.

Thermo Fisher Scientific released the Thermo Scientific LightShift RNA EMSA (electrophoretic mobility shift assay) Kit, and the Thermo Scientific Pierce RNA 3′ End Biotinylation Kit for research into RNA-protein interactions.

Millipore launched the MILLIPLEX MultiAnalyte Profile human kidney toxicity assay kits.

Miltenyi Biotec, in partnership with nanoPET Pharma GmbH, released the Viscover preclinical contrast agents for in vivo small animal imaging.

Pall expanded its AcroPrep Advance 96-well filter plate portfolio to include additional membrane options and larger well volumes, such as plates optimized for protein fractionation, lysate clarification and DNA binding.