Life Technologies Acquires Advanced Microscopy Group
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Life Technologies Corporation announced the acquisition of Advanced Microscopy Group or AMG, a privately held developer of imaging systems for research microscopy incorporated as Westover Scientific, Inc. The manufacturer of the FLoid® Cell Imaging Station currently sold by Life, AMG enables Life to expand its product line of cell imaging instrumentation, while leveraging its Molecular Probes® portfolio of fluorescent dyes and reagents.
The acquisition also provides new product development opportunities for both laboratory and portable imaging devices. Life Technologies' Molecular Probes® range of fluorescent dyes and probes are broadly used in the research market and constitute a natural complement to the EVOS® range of microscopes manufactured by AMG.
"Our acquisition of Advanced Microscopy Group brings together two leaders in the cell imaging field," said Peter Dansky, president of Molecular and Cell Biology at Life Technologies. "With AMG's demonstrated excellence in innovative microscopy instrumentation and the Molecular Probes line of market leading imaging reagents, we're now better able to serve our customers with a complete portfolio of integrated solutions for cell analysis optimized for performance and ease of use."
AMG has a portfolio of imaging instruments that spans basic to advanced microscopy. The EVOS® range of instruments improves ease of use by eliminating conventional eyepieces and replacing them with LCD screens. Two entry-level microscopes, EVOS® XL and EVOS® XL-Core, address the tissue culture market for routine monitoring of cell culture through measurements of cell density and morphology. The instruments are brightfield and phase contrast enabled and come with a range of magnification lens options. The EVOS®FL is a multi-color fluorescent microscope with brightfield/phase contrast capabilities and a range of objective options.
AMG also developed Life Technologies' FLoid® Cell Imaging Station, a platform that offers revolutionary ease of use for fluorescent microscopy. Introduced in late 2011, FLoid® was developed to be ideally suited for laboratories that are new to imaging or do not require the advanced features found in more expensive instruments. The addition of the EVOS® product line complements the FLoid® system by maintaining simplicity in the user experience, while providing advanced capabilities and automation that are necessary for some applications.
"We are excited that Life Technologies places high value on our EVOS line," said Steve Lytle, founder and president of AMG. "Ultimately, it is our customers who will benefit most from the breadth of the combined portfolios. It also uniquely positions Life in the cell imaging field and will serve as the foundation for the development of new applications and products."
The microscopy market size is estimated to be approximately $770 million. The acquisition of AMG is expected to be neutral to Life's 2012 earnings, accretive to 2013 earnings and accretive to the company's overall ROIC by 2015. The financial terms of the deal are not being disclosed. AMG's existing business will remain in Bothell, Washington, and will join Life Technologies' Flow Cytometry and Imaging business unit.
