Precision System Science licensed Hitachi’s bead array technology for commercializing new capillary bead tips.

Digilab BioVisioN GmbH licensed GenWay Biotech’s Seppro IgY technology for proteomic sample preparation and will become the Official European Seppro Center.

In July, Sigma-Aldrich promoted Gerrit van den Dool to the newly created position of vice president of Sales and Dr. David A. Smoller to president of the Research Biotech business unit. Gilles Cottier, president of the Research Essentials business unit, added direct oversight of operations in India and China to his existing duties.

Sigma-Aldrich sales grew 12.5% in the first half of 2007 to $1.0 billion, including 6.9% organic growth (see page 12). Research Essentials, Research Specialities and Research Biotech revenues rose 8.2%, 12.6% and 5.1% to $95.9 million, $185.6 million and $72.8 million, respectively, and are forecasted to grow 4%, 7% and 6% in 2007. The company forecasts total 2007 organic sales growth of 7%.

EMD Chemicals signed a second licensing and development agreement for Epitome Biosystems’ EpiTag technology and will focus on developing EpiTag assays for the quantitative measurement of various targets.

Alnylam Pharmaceutical granted Hayahi Kasei a license to provide RNAi research products and services under the Kreutzer-Limmer patent family.

QIAGEN NV entered into a strategic agreement with the Joint Center for Structural Genomics to provide The JCSG Core Suites I–IV, a new set of crystallization screens consisting of 384 conditions split into four screens.

VWR will distribute Assay Designs’ products, which include immunoassay kits, antibodies and reagents, in North America.