NEW YORK (GenomeWeb News) – Microbiologics has acquired Phthisis Diagnostics, a maker of molecular standards and diagnostics, for an undisclosed amount.
Microbiologicals current focus is on lyophilized microorganism products for quality control of microbiological testing, but the molecular products line of Phthisis will form the basis of a new molecular products division.
The acquisition will "lay the foundation for Microbiologics to design and launch a broad collection of molecular products and custom services," Brad Goskowicz, CEO of the St. Cloud, Minn.-based firm, said in a statement. He added that the deal "will expand our range of biomaterials to include viruses and other hard to grow microorganisms."
Phthisis has developed a line of control standards for molecular laboratories called G-Sphere. This line of synthetic standard genes can provide stable, consistent, abundant controls for molecular fingerprinting of pathogens important to public health, among other applications, according to Charlottesville, Va.-based Phthisis.
Crystal Icenhour, president and chief science officer of Phthisis, will also serve as an advisor to Microbiologics as it develops its new division and adopts Phthisis' technology. "[T]his longer established company will have the structure to take these products much further than our smaller company could have," Icenhour said in a statement.
Supporting its new molecular diagnostics direction, Microbiologics also said that it has hired a VP of Products and Services, Brian Beck. He joins the firm from ATCC, where he managed the microbiology collection and associated bioservices.