Research Genetics

Research Genetics was an American life sciences company founded in 1987 and headquartered in Huntsville, Alabama. It became a notable supplier of polymerase chain reaction (PCR) primers, genetic markers, and related genomic research reagents to academic, government, and commercial laboratories. The company played a role in the early genomics era by providing affordable custom oligonucleotide synthesis and marker sets used in genome mapping and sequencing projects. Research Genetics went public and traded on the NASDAQ under the ticker RESG. Its product lines included PCR primers, microsatellite markers, bacterial artificial chromosome (BAC) libraries, and other molecular biology tools. The company also distributed the GenePairs and GeneFilters product lines and provided custom DNA synthesis services. In 2000, Research Genetics was acquired by Invitrogen Corporation, a major supplier of life science technologies. The acquisition expanded Invitrogen's portfolio in the genomics and PCR reagents market. Following the acquisition, the Research Genetics brand was gradually integrated into Invitrogen, and the company ceased to operate as an independent entity. Its website, resgen.com, was later redirected to Invitrogen and subsequently to Thermo Fisher Scientific after Invitrogen was acquired in 2014. Today, Research Genetics is remembered as an early provider of genomic tools that supported the Human Genome Project and the broader molecular biology research community. The company's legacy lives on through the products and technologies that were absorbed into Invitrogen and Thermo Fisher Scientific.

Research Genetics was founded in 1987 in Huntsville, Alabama, at a time when molecular biology research was rapidly expanding. The company focused on providing custom DNA synthesis, particularly PCR primers, to research laboratories. As the Human Genome Project gained momentum in the 1990s, demand for genetic markers and genomic reagents grew, and Research Genetics became a key supplier of microsatellite markers and BAC libraries. The company went public on the NASDAQ stock exchange under the ticker symbol RESG. It developed and distributed products such as GeneFilters, which were nylon membrane-based microarrays for gene expression analysis, and GenePairs, which were PCR primer pairs for amplifying specific genes. These products were widely used in academic and pharmaceutical research. In 2000, Invitrogen Corporation acquired Research Genetics for approximately $130 million in stock. The acquisition was part of Invitrogen's strategy to expand its genomics and PCR offerings. After the acquisition, Research Genetics operated as a subsidiary of Invitrogen and was eventually fully integrated into the Invitrogen brand. The resgen.com website was maintained for some time before redirecting to Invitrogen's site. Invitrogen itself was acquired by Thermo Fisher Scientific in 2014, and the remaining Research Genetics product lines were absorbed into Thermo Fisher's portfolio. The Research Genetics name is no longer used commercially, and the company is considered defunct as a separate entity.

• 2014

  Invitrogen, including former Research Genetics operations, is acquired by Thermo Fisher Scientific.

• 2000

  Invitrogen Corporation acquires Research Genetics.

• 1990

  Company becomes a supplier of PCR primers and genetic markers for genome research.

• 1990

  Research Genetics goes public on NASDAQ under ticker RESG.

• 1987

  Research Genetics founded in Huntsville, Alabama.

Supplier of affordable genomic research reagents and custom oligonucleotides for the academic and commercial life sciences market.

• Custom PCR primers

  Synthetic oligonucleotides for polymerase chain reaction.

• Microsatellite markers

  Short tandem repeat markers for genetic mapping.

• GeneFilters

  Nylon membrane microarrays for gene expression analysis.

• GenePairs

  PCR primer pairs for specific gene amplification.

• BAC libraries

  Bacterial artificial chromosome libraries for genomic research.

1. 1Research Genetics - Wikidatawikidata.org