Company Announcements In January, MicroBioLogics acquired the assets of Gibson Laboratories, which supplies specialty media products, microorganisms, diagnostics and proficiency testing supplies. MicroBioLogics established a new subsidiary named Gibson Laboratories and will retain key members of Gibson’s management team. Integrated DNA Technologies signed a license agreement with LI-COR Biosciences to manufacture oligos for sale using […]

The Japanese government plans to create a ¥270 billion ($2.7 billion) fund for research. Up to 30 research teams would receive ¥9 billion in funding over a three-to-five year period. Unlike other research grants, funds left over could be used during the following fiscal year and researchers will be given greater freedom in how they […]

Fourth-quarter sales for the Lab Equipment/Consumables Sales Index declined 1.2% to $866.20 million, while operating profits improved 5.6% to $265.08 million. Operating margins rose 200 basis points to 30.6% of sales due to cost savings initiatives by a majority of companies in the Index. For the year, Index sales improved 7.5% to $3,557.89 million, operating […]

Billerica, MA 4/3/09—Bruker Advanced Supercon, a subsidiary of Bruker that provides low-temperature superconducting wire and high-temperature superconductor solutions, has acquired the research instruments portion of ACCEL Instruments GmbH from Varian Medical Systems for an undisclosed amount. Varian Medical retained ACCEL’s proton therapy business. As a result of the acquisition, Bruker has created two new subsidiaries: […]

According to Alcimed, a research group based in France, as many as 20% of small biotechnology firms in Europe could go bankrupt this year. These firms need new funding within the next year and a half in order to survive. Alcimed estimates that the sector needs at least $2.6 billion in annual funding to maintain […]

A Brazilian pluripotent stem cell research initiative will award eight university labs with $9.3 million grants over three years to create Cell Technology Centers. One such Center, the National Laboratory for Human Embryonic Cells (LaNCE), based at the Federal University of Rio de Janeiro and the University of São Paulo will house a national stem […]

A new report from the Centers for Disease Control and Prevention (CDC) indicates that US food safety has not improved since 2005. Sixteen of every 100,000 people had confirmed cases of salmonella in 2008, compared to 14 out of 100,000 in 2005. Although the increase may be a statistical anomaly, many foodborne illnesses, including listeria […]

Company Announcements Bruker opened its expanded applications and technology demonstration lab in Yokohama, Japan, in February. The lab is co-located with Bruker’s R&D and manufacturing facility for X-ray analysis systems. Bruker has close to ¥10 billion ($107 million) in revenue in Japan and almost 150 employees in the country. Scottish Enterprise reported in February that […]

Farmingdale, NY 4/7/09—Misonix, a provider of ultrasonic medical device technology, has sold its Ultrasonic Laboratory business to iSonix for $3.5 million in cash. The business manufactures and markets scientific and industrial ultrasonic equipment, including the Sonicator liquid processors and cell disruptors, and generated $4.6 million in revenue in fiscal year 2008. Misonix stated that the […]