Invitrogen

Invitrogen is a life-sciences research brand whose products support work in molecular biology, cell and gene research, genomics, proteomics, drug discovery, diagnostics, and related biotechnology fields. The business originated in 1987, when Lyle Turner, Joe Fernandez, and William McConnell established the company that became Invitrogen Corporation; the company was incorporated in 1989. Its early success came from molecular-cloning products, including The Librarian cDNA-library kit and the FastTrack mRNA-isolation kit. Invitrogen developed by combining internal research and technology licensing with an aggressive acquisition strategy. After becoming a public company in 1999, it acquired businesses and technologies spanning genomics, synthetic DNA, protein characterization, fluorescence-based detection, magnetic-bead separation, drug-screening assays, bioinformatics, cellular analysis, antibodies, and RNA interference. Notable additions included NOVEX, Research Genetics, Molecular Probes, Dynal, Panvera, InforMax, BioSource, CellzDirect, Zymed, Caltag Laboratories, and Sequitur. These transactions expanded the portfolio from a focused molecular-cloning supplier into a broad provider of research reagents, instruments, software, and services. A major turning point came in 2000, when Invitrogen acquired the biotechnology and cell-culture company Life Technologies. Life Technologies had roots in GIBCO and Bethesda Research Laboratories, and its addition gave Invitrogen a much larger cell-culture and reagent presence. Invitrogen later acquired Applied Biosystems in a transaction completed in 2008. The combined organization adopted the Life Technologies name, while Invitrogen remained visible as a product and brand identity. In 2010, Life Technologies acquired Ion Torrent Systems, adding semiconductor-based sequencing technology to the broader portfolio. Invitrogen products have included molecular-cloning and expression systems, PCR and reverse-transcription reagents, DNA and RNA purification tools, cell-culture media, transfection reagents, antibodies, immunoassays, fluorescent labels, magnetic separation products, protein electrophoresis systems, stem-cell products, and instruments for nucleic-acid and protein quantitation. Recognized product families associated with the brand or its predecessor businesses include Dynabeads, GIBCO, SuperScript, Platinum Taq, TOPO, Novex, Qdot, Alexa Fluor, DyLight, RiboGreen, SYBR dyes, and Qubit. The brand has also been connected with applied programs in biodefense, environmental testing, food safety, and public-health monitoring. Work described in reference material includes development of a prototype portable pathogen-detection system under a U.S. Defense Threat Reduction Agency contract, food-contamination testing associated with the 2008 Beijing Olympic Games, and PathAlert monitoring for Yersinia pestis during the 2006 Turin Winter Games. Invitrogen's current identity is as a Thermo Fisher Scientific brand serving academic, government, biotechnology, pharmaceutical, clinical, and industrial laboratories. Its offering is positioned around breadth of choice, validated research workflows, and integration of reagents, instruments, and supporting services.

Invitrogen emerged from a biotechnology company founded in 1987 by Lyle Turner, Joe Fernandez, and William McConnell. The company was incorporated in 1989, although McConnell subsequently left the business. Its initial focus was molecular cloning, an expanding area of biotechnology research. Early products included The Librarian, a kit for constructing complementary-DNA libraries, and the FastTrack kit for isolating messenger RNA from biological samples. These products established the company as a supplier to laboratories studying gene expression and recombinant DNA. The company pursued both technology licensing and corporate acquisitions as routes to growth. It went public in 1999 and soon began broadening its capabilities. NOVEX added expertise in cloned-protein characterization, while Research Genetics contributed genomics and synthetic-DNA capabilities. In 2000, Invitrogen acquired Life Technologies, a biotechnology and cell-culture company with historical links to GIBCO and Bethesda Research Laboratories. This transaction gave Invitrogen a stronger position in cell culture, media, and laboratory reagents and materially expanded its customer base. During the following years, Invitrogen assembled a wide portfolio of specialist businesses. Molecular Probes strengthened fluorescence-based detection; Dynal added magnetic-bead separation; Panvera contributed proteins and assays for drug screening; InforMax supplied computational-biology and bioinformatics software; BioSource focused on cellular pathways; CellzDirect added cell products and research services; and Zymed and Caltag Laboratories expanded antibody offerings. Sequitur, acquired in 2003, brought proprietary Stealth RNA-interference technology. The resulting organization was no longer limited to cloning kits: it covered molecular biology, cell biology, protein analysis, imaging, genomics, and related research workflows. Invitrogen's product portfolio included SuperScript reverse transcriptase, Platinum Taq polymerase, TOPO cloning and expression systems, Novex protein-electrophoresis products, Dynabeads, GIBCO media, and a range of fluorescent reagents such as Qdot nanocrystals, Alexa Fluor, DyLight, RiboGreen, and SYBR dyes. It also developed products for stem-cell research, including engineered stem-cell lines and STEMPRO products intended to support human embryonic stem-cell growth, expansion, and pluripotency-related research. The largest corporate transition occurred in 2008, when Invitrogen combined with Applied Biosystems. Applied Biosystems brought DNA-sequencing and PCR instruments, reagents, and related genomics technologies. The combined company was renamed Life Technologies, but Invitrogen and many acquired labels remained in use on products and within commercial portfolios. Life Technologies subsequently acquired Ion Torrent Systems in 2010, adding semiconductor sequencing to its technology base. Invitrogen-related technologies also appeared in applied public-health and security programs. Reference material describes a portable, multi-analyte pathogen-detection prototype developed under a Defense Threat Reduction Agency contract, food-safety testing for possible E. coli O157 contamination during the 2008 Beijing Olympic Games, and PathAlert monitoring for Yersinia pestis at the 2006 Turin Winter Games. The Qubit platform received recognition through an R&D 100 Award, and Qubit Flex was later identified as a finalist for the award in 2020. In 2014, Thermo Fisher Scientific acquired Life Technologies. Invitrogen therefore became a brand within Thermo Fisher rather than an independent listed corporation. The brand continues to represent a broad collection of life-science research products, serving academic laboratories, biotechnology and pharmaceutical companies, government institutions, clinical researchers, and industrial users. Its modern role is primarily that of a product and workflow brand within Thermo Fisher's larger research and laboratory-products business.

• 2020

  Qubit Flex is an R&D 100 finalist

  [1]Invitrogenen.wikipedia.org

  The Qubit Flex platform is identified as a finalist for the R&D 100 technology awards.

• 2014

  Thermo Fisher Scientific acquires Life Technologies

  [1]Invitrogenen.wikipedia.org

  Invitrogen becomes a brand within Thermo Fisher Scientific following the acquisition of Life Technologies.

• 2010

  Ion Torrent Systems is acquired

  [1]Invitrogenen.wikipedia.org

  Life Technologies acquires Ion Torrent, bringing semiconductor-based DNA sequencing into the portfolio.

• 2008

  Applied Biosystems combination creates Life Technologies

  [1]Invitrogenen.wikipedia.org

  Invitrogen combines with Applied Biosystems, adding sequencing, PCR, and laboratory-instrument capabilities; the overall company adopts the Life Technologies name.

• 2008

  Food-safety testing supports Beijing Olympic programs

  [1]Invitrogenen.wikipedia.org

  Invitrogen provides testing kits for possible E. coli O157 contamination in food associated with the Beijing Olympic food-safety program.

• 2006

  PathAlert is used for Turin Winter Games monitoring

  [1]Invitrogenen.wikipedia.org

  PathAlert technology is selected for monitoring Yersinia pestis during the Turin Winter Games.

• 2003

  Sequitur is acquired

  [1]Invitrogenen.wikipedia.org

  The transaction adds Stealth RNAi technology to Invitrogen's gene-silencing portfolio.

• 2000

  Life Technologies is acquired

  [1]Invitrogenen.wikipedia.org

  Invitrogen acquires Life Technologies, strengthening its cell-culture and biological-reagents business.

• 1999

  Invitrogen becomes a public company

  [1]Invitrogenen.wikipedia.org

  Invitrogen completes its public offering and begins using acquisitions more extensively to consolidate biotechnology research suppliers.

• 1999

  Research Genetics is acquired

  [1]Invitrogenen.wikipedia.org

  The acquisition expands Invitrogen into genomics and synthetic-DNA chemistry.

• 1989

  Company is incorporated

  [1]Invitrogenen.wikipedia.org

  The business is formally incorporated; William McConnell later leaves the company.

• 1987

  Invitrogen is founded

  [1]Invitrogenen.wikipedia.org

  Lyle Turner, Joe Fernandez, and William McConnell establish the company that becomes Invitrogen, initially focusing on molecular-cloning products.

A broad, workflow-oriented life-sciences research brand supplying reagents, instruments, and services to laboratories working in biology, biotechnology, drug development, diagnostics, and cell and gene research.

• Magnetic separation

  Dynabeads

  Dynabeads are magnetic-bead products used to isolate, enrich, separate, and manipulate biological targets. They support applications including cell separation, nucleic-acid workflows, immunoprecipitation, and sample preparation.

• Cell culture

  GIBCO

  GIBCO is a major cell-culture portfolio associated with media, sera, supplements, reagents, and related products for maintaining and expanding cells in research and bioprocessing workflows.

• Reverse transcription

  SuperScript

  SuperScript products provide reverse-transcriptase reagents for converting RNA into complementary DNA. They are used in gene-expression analysis, cloning, sequencing preparation, and other molecular-biology applications.

• PCR reagents

  Platinum Taq

  Platinum Taq is a family of PCR polymerase products designed for amplification of DNA in research workflows. The range is associated with hot-start and other formats intended to improve amplification control and reproducibility.

• Cloning

  TOPO cloning and expression products

  TOPO products support rapid cloning and expression by using topoisomerase-mediated insertion methods. They are used to move DNA fragments into vectors for propagation, sequencing, and recombinant-expression experiments.

• Fluorescent reagents

  Alexa Fluor

  Alexa Fluor is a family of fluorescent labels and conjugates used in microscopy, flow cytometry, immunoassays, and other detection applications. The range supports multicolor experiments and visualization of biomolecules and cells.

• Quantitation instruments

  Qubit

  Qubit systems measure DNA, RNA, and protein concentrations using fluorescence-based assays. The platform is intended to provide laboratory quantitation before downstream procedures such as sequencing, amplification, and protein analysis.

• Stem-cell research

  STEMPRO

  STEMPRO products support stem-cell culture and research, including workflows involving human embryonic stem-cell growth, expansion, manual passaging, and assessment of pluripotency-related characteristics.

• 2008Beijing Olympic food-safety testing

  China · Food safety · Public health

  Invitrogen supplied kits intended to detect possible E. coli O157 contamination in food for the Beijing Olympic food-safety program, which operated with reference to World Health Organization food standards.

  Outcome. Testing was incorporated into the Beijing Centers for Disease Control and Prevention and Olympic food-safety monitoring effort.

  Source
• 2006PathAlert Turin Winter Games monitoring

  Italy · Public health · Event food and environmental monitoring

  PathAlert technology was selected for monitoring Yersinia pestis, the bacterium associated with plague, during the Turin Winter Games.

  Outcome. Used as part of event-related pathogen monitoring.

  Source

• 2014

  Become a Thermo Fisher Scientific brandM&A

  Background

  Thermo Fisher Scientific acquired Life Technologies to expand its life-sciences and laboratory-products business.

  Action taken

  Life Technologies was acquired by Thermo Fisher Scientific, with Invitrogen retained as a product and brand identity.

  Aftermath

  Invitrogen ceased to operate as an independent listed corporation and became part of Thermo Fisher Scientific's global portfolio.

  Source

• 2010

  Acquire Ion Torrent SystemsM&A

  Background

  Life Technologies sought to add a differentiated DNA-sequencing technology to its genomics portfolio.

  Action taken

  Life Technologies acquired Ion Torrent Systems and incorporated its semiconductor sequencing technology into the group.

  Aftermath

  The acquisition broadened the sequencing capabilities available within the Life Technologies and later Thermo Fisher portfolio.

  Source

• 2008

  Combine with Applied BiosystemsM&A

  Background

  Invitrogen pursued a larger platform covering research reagents, instruments, sequencing, PCR, and genomics.

  Action taken

  Invitrogen merged with Applied Biosystems and renamed the combined organization Life Technologies.

  Aftermath

  Invitrogen continued as a brand while the overall company gained Applied Biosystems' sequencing and instrumentation portfolio.

  Source

• 2000

  Acquire Life TechnologiesM&A

  Background

  Invitrogen sought to broaden its biotechnology and reagent portfolio and gain a stronger position in cell culture.

  Action taken

  Invitrogen acquired Life Technologies, whose historical businesses included GIBCO and Bethesda Research Laboratories.

  Aftermath

  The transaction substantially enlarged Invitrogen's cell-culture and reagent operations and contributed technologies that remained associated with the later Life Technologies organization.

  Source

• 1999

  Adopt acquisitions as a growth strategyStrategy

  Background

  After becoming public, Invitrogen sought to expand beyond technology licensing because many niche biotechnology companies were unwilling to license their technologies.

  Action taken

  The company pursued acquisitions of specialist suppliers and technology businesses alongside licensing and internal development.

  Aftermath

  The strategy expanded Invitrogen's capabilities across genomics, fluorescence, cell culture, antibodies, bioinformatics, and other research areas.

  Source

1. 1Invitrogenen.wikipedia.org
2. 2Thermo Fisher Scientificthermofisher.com