Skip to main content
Premium Trial:

Request an Annual Quote

LGC Acquires BioAutomation

NEW YORK (GenomeWeb) – LGC said today that it has acquired BioAutomation, which manufactures the MerMade line of oligonucleotide synthesis instruments.

Terms of the deal were not disclosed.

BioAutomatic was founded in 1999 and employs 17 people at its facility in Irving, Texas. Its MerMade products include eight instruments that can synthesize four to 192 oligos simultaneously at scale ranges from 50 nmol to 200 umol, according to LGC. It also distributes consumables used during the synthesis process.

"The acquisition will allow us to provide our oligonucleotide reagent customers a complete and fully-supported oligo synthesis solution, as well as helping to drive advancements in automation for all aspects of our oligo manufacturing processes," Brian Kim, president and managing director of LGC's genomics division, said in a statement.

London-based LGC has been expanding its presence in the nucleic acid chemistry market recently through a series of acquisitions, including its buyouts of Biosearch Technologies in 2015, Prime Synthesis in 2016, and Link Technologies in 2017.

LGC also acquired Lucigen earlier this year, expanding its footprint in next-generation sequencing and gene editing.

The Scan

Hormone-Based Gene Therapy to Sterilize Domestic Cat

A new paper in Nature Communication suggests that gene therapy could be a safer alternative to spaying domestic cats.

Active Lifestyle Linked to Type 2 Diabetes Prevention in People at High Genetic Risk

A study in the British Journal of Sports Medicine shows that an active lifestyle goes a long way in type 2 diabetes prevention.

Beneficial, Harmful Effects of Introgression Between Wild and Domesticated European Grapes

A paper in PNAS shows that European wild grapevines were an important resource for improving the flavor of cultivated wine grapes.

Genetic Ancestry of South America's Indigenous Mapuche Traced

Researchers in Current Biology analyzed genome-wide data from more than five dozen Mapuche individuals to better understand their genetic history.