Bio-Rad Laboratories, Inc. is an American developer and manufacturer of specialized technological products for the
life science research and
clinical diagnostics markets. The company was founded in 1952 in
Berkeley, California
Berkeley ( ) is a city on the eastern shore of San Francisco Bay in northern Alameda County, California, United States. It is named after the 18th-century Irish bishop and philosopher George Berkeley. It borders the cities of Oakland and E ...
, by husband and wife team David and
Alice Schwartz, both graduates of the University of California, Berkeley. Bio-Rad is based in Hercules, California, and has operations worldwide.
Business segments
Bio-Rad’s life science products primarily include instruments, software, consumables, reagents, and content for the areas of
cell biology,
gene expression,
protein purification,
protein quantitation,
drug discovery and manufacture,
food safety, and science education. These products are based on technologies to separate, purify, identify, analyze, and amplify biological materials such as
antibodies,
proteins,
nucleic acids
Nucleic acids are biopolymers, macromolecules, essential to all known forms of life. They are composed of nucleotides, which are the monomers made of three components: a 5-carbon sugar, a phosphate group and a nitrogenous base. The two main cl ...
,
cells, and
bacteria
Bacteria (; singular: bacterium) are ubiquitous, mostly free-living organisms often consisting of one Cell (biology), biological cell. They constitute a large domain (biology), domain of prokaryotic microorganisms. Typically a few micrometr ...
.
[Bio-Rad Annual Report 2016 , http://www.bio-rad.com/webroot/web/pdf/corporate/annualreport/Annual_Report_2016.pdf]
Bio-Rad’s diagnostic products and systems use a range of technologies and provide clinical information in the blood transfusion, diabetes monitoring, autoimmune, and infectious disease testing markets. These products are used to support the diagnosis, monitoring, and treatment of diseases and other medical conditions.
History
Bio-Rad Laboratories was founded in 1952 by David Schwartz and his wife Alice, both recent graduates of the
University of California, Berkeley
The University of California, Berkeley (UC Berkeley, Berkeley, Cal, or California) is a public land-grant research university in Berkeley, California. Established in 1868 as the University of California, it is the state's first land-grant u ...
. In 1976, Bio-Rad acquired Environmental Chemical Specialties (ECS), a producer of human control serum.
In 2011, Bio-Rad acquired a new technology, droplet digital
PCR. Droplet digital PCR allows scientists to distinguish rare sequences in tumors and precisely measure copy number variation.
In January 2013, Bio-Rad purchased AbD Serotec, a division of MorphoSys AG. This added Serotec’s more than 15,000 antibodies, kits, and accessories to Bio-Rad’s portfolio of research and clinical diagnostic products.
In 2016, the company had direct distribution channels in over 35 countries outside the United States through subsidiaries whose focus is sales, customer service and product distribution. In some locations outside and inside these 35 countries, sales efforts were supplemented by distributors and agents.
In 2017, Bio-Rad acquired RainDance Technologies, a droplet-based PCR systems manufacturer.
In March 2021, Bio-Rad announced a partnership with
Roche.
Vickers Instruments
In 1989, Bio-Rad purchased the British instrument-making firm,
Vickers (1828 - 1999), apart from their defense products, which were sold to
British Aerospace. This company had been known until 1963 as
Cooke, Troughton & Simms. Cooke, Troughton & Simms was formed in 1922 by the merging of
T. Cooke & Sons, a York-based instrument maker founded in 1837 by the self-taught schoolmaster
Thomas Cooke, and the London instrument-maker,
Troughton & Simms founded in 1828 by
Edward Troughton
Edward Troughton FRS FRSE FAS (October 1753 – 12 June 1835) was a British instrument maker who was notable for making telescopes and other astronomical instruments.
Life
Troughton was born at Corney, Cumberland, the youngest of six child ...
who began his apprenticeship in 1773.
Bioradiations
''Bioradiations'' is an online
magazine created by Bio-Rad that offers researchers case studies, whitepapers, tips, techniques, and topics related to Bio-Rad products and services. ''Bioradiations'' began as a print magazine that was launched in 1965
[BioCompare](_blank)
/ref> and was printed until 2011 and replaced with the online publication.
See also
* Laboratory equipment
* List of S&P 500 companies
The S&P 500 stock market index is maintained by S&P Dow Jones Indices. It comprises 503 common stocks which are issued by 500 large-cap companies traded on American stock exchanges (including the 30 companies that compose the Dow Jones Industrial A ...
References
External links
*
Wall Street Journal profile
{{Authority control
Companies listed on the New York Stock Exchange
Companies based in Contra Costa County, California
1952 establishments in California
History of Berkeley, California
Laboratory equipment manufacturers
Life sciences industry
Research support companies
Manufacturing companies based in California
Manufacturing companies established in 1952
Technology companies established in 1952
Medical technology companies of the United States
Technology companies of the United States
American companies established in 1952
Hercules, California