NEW YORK (GenomeWeb) – Beckman Coulter Life Sciences today announced it is acquiring Chinese flow cytometry firms Xitogen Technologies and Cytojene for an undisclosed amount.
Based in Suzhou and Dalian, China, Xitogen provides Beckman Coulter an operational base in China and "a high quality research instrument" that rounds out Beckman Coulter's cytometry portfolio, the Danaher business said.
Xitogen's XTG-1600 is a small footprint cytometer able to detect down to the 100 nanometer range, including viruses, bacteria, microparticles, and cell organelles. The instrument's base single-laser/four-channel system can be incrementally expanded to a three-laser/16-channel configuration, Beckman Coulter said.
Cytojene is Xitogen's US entity, according to a spokesman for Beckman Coulter.
The deal is anticipated to close in the second quarter and includes Xitogen's fully staffed facilities in Suzhou and Dalian, which will serve as R&D and manufacturing sites for Beckman Coulter.
Beckman Coulter Life Sciences President Jennifer Honeycutt said in a statement, "We see Xitogen’s technology as an accelerator that will rapidly grow our menu of products and services."
Mario Koksch, VP and GM of the firm's Cytometry Business Unit, added, "Having an operational base in the growing Asian market will enable us to provide timely service to customers in that region. Adding this technology and intellectual property to our existing portfolio means we can extend our reach from clinical diagnostics through clinical research and further into basic research."