LGC Acquires German DNA Testing Firm to Expand European Footprint

NEW YORK, May 15 (GenomeWeb News) - LGC, a provider of analytical and diagnostic services based in London, said on Friday that it has acquired the Institut f r Blutgruppenforschung, a DNA services provider based in Cologne, Germany.

IBF specializes in DNA services for paternity testing and forensic genetics, and is part of LGC's strategy "to expand its DNA analysis services into mainland Europe," the company said in a statement.

Financial terms of the acquisition were not disclosed.

IBF has a clinic with sampling facilities in D sseldorf and is "assessing options to expand into other areas of Germany," LGC said.

LGC's current operations in Germany include a facility for producing pharmaceutical impurity reference standards in Luckenwalde and a reference-material subsidiary called LGC Promochem in Wesel.

In January, LGC acquired AGOWA, a genomics company based in Berlin. LGC also has operations in the UK, France, Italy, Poland, Spain, Sweden, and India.