Particle bombardment technology, also known as biological biolistics or bioballistics, is a nonviral, physical gene delivery method in which target cells are transfected using DNA-coated particles. Cornell University horticultural scientist John Sanford and cohorts developed the technique in the early 1980s. The technology is a very effective gene delivery method for plant cells, as it […]

Santa Clara, CA 7/24/08—Affymetrix has purchased a developer of digitally encoded microparticle technology for $25 million in cash. GenomeWeb.com reports that the company is True Materials and that Randy True, the company’s vice president of R&D, has joined Affymetrix. Affymetrix stated that the technology will allow it to enter the low to mid-multiplexing markets and […]

San Diego, CA 7/22/08—Illumina has acquired Avantome, the developer of a long read-length sequencing technology, for $25 million in cash and contingent payments of up to $35 million. Avantome’s principal founders Mostafa Ronaghi and Helmy Eltoukhy will join Illumina. Dr. Ronaghi will serve as senior vice president and chief technical officer and Dr. Eltoukhy will […]

Company Announcements Dynisco restructured in March, creating divisions to serve specific market segments, including Plastics, Rubber and Industrial, Oil and Gas, Life Sciences, and Test and Control. Under an OEM agreement, Digital Light will supply REOLOGICA with photocuring accessories. In April, Anton Paar GmbH announced the appointment of Dr. Othmar Ederer, general director of the […]

Austin, TX 7/7/08—Xenemetrix announced that on June 15 it acquired Jordan Valley’s Analytical Instrument Division, which suppliers energy dispersive–X-ray fluorescence spectroscopy instruments (ED-XRF). Xenemetrix was formed by a private management group, led by CEO Doron Reinis, a founding partner of Business Processes, a consulting, production engineering and industrial engineering services firm. “As Jordan Valley Semiconductors […]

Growth for India’s biotech sector has decelerated from the compound annual growth rate of 34% in the past five years to a 20% rate for 2007–2008, recording nearly $2.5 billion in revenues, according to a survey by the Association of Biotech Led Enterprises and Biospectrum magazine. The biotech sector is divided into five segments: biopharma, […]

Despite the economic downturn, sales of analytical and life science instruments and related aftermarket products and service have remained healthy. Steady industrial end-markets, demand from Asia, and robust biotech and contract research organization (CRO) sales have offset cautious spending by big pharma and a mixed academic market. As the table on page 3 shows, first-half […]