Bio-Rad buys Virtek Biotech's microarray and robotic technologies

JULY 1--Bio-Rad Laboratories Inc. (Hercules, CA ), a multinational manufacturer and distributor of life science research products and clinical diagnostics, has acquired the microarray and robotics technologies business of Virtek Biotech Canada Inc., a subsidiary of Virtek Vision International Inc. (Waterloo, ON, Canada) and a global developer of precision laser and automation solutions for the transportation, industrial fabrication, and biotechnology industries.

Bio-Rad paid approximately US $7 million to acquire these assets. It plans to hire employees from this group and expects operations to continue in Canada. Virtek Biotech sales totaled Canadian $8.3 million for the fiscal year ended Jan. 31, 2002.

Norman Schwartz, Bio-Rad vice president and life science group manager, says, "It is a natural extension of our DNA- and proteome-based product lines, augmenting our existing gene transfer, amplification, and imaging products. We expect microarray technologies to become a standard method used in molecular biology laboratories."