Bio-Rad Laboratories

Bio-Rad Laboratories, Inc. is an American developer and manufacturer of specialized technological products for the life science research and clinical diagnostics markets. The company was founded in 1952 in Berkeley, California, by husband and wife team David and Alice Schwartz, both graduates of the University of California, Berkeley. Bio-Rad is based in Hercules, California, and has operations worldwide.
Business segments.
Bio-Rad’s life science products primarily include instruments, software, consumables, reagents, and content for the areas of cell biology, gene expression, protein purification, protein quantitation, drug discovery and manufacture, food safety, and science education. These products are based on technologies to separate, purify, identify, analyze, and amplify biological materials such as antibodies, proteins, nucleic acids, cells, and bacteria.
Bio-Rad’s diagnostic products and systems use a range of technologies and provide clinical information in the blood transfusion, diabetes monitoring, autoimmune, and infectious disease testing markets. These products are used to support the diagnosis, monitoring, and treatment of diseases and other medical conditions.
History.
Bio-Rad Laboratories was founded in 1952 by David Schwartz and his wife Alice, both recent graduates of the University of California, Berkeley.
In January 2013, Bio-Rad purchased AbD Serotec, a division of MorphoSys AG. This added Serotec’s more than 15,000 antibodies, kits, and accessories to Bio-Rad’s portfolio of research and clinical diagnostic products.
In 2011, Bio-Rad acquired a new technology, droplet digital PCR. Droplet digital PCR allows scientists to distinguish rare sequences in tumors and precisely measure copy number variation.
Today the company has direct distribution channels in over 35 countries outside the United States through subsidiaries whose focus is sales, customer service and product distribution. In some locations outside and inside these 35 countries, sales efforts are supplemented by distributors and agents.
Vickers Instruments.
In 1989, Bio-Rad purchased the British instrument-making firm, Vickers (1828 - 1999), apart from their defense products, which were sold to British Aerospace. This company had been known until 1963 as Cooke, Troughton & Simms. Cooke, Troughton & Simms was formed in 1922 by the merging of T. Cooke & Sons, a York-based instrument maker founded in 1837 by the self-taught schoolmaster Thomas Cooke, and the London instrument-maker, Troughton & Simms founded in 1828 by Edward Troughton who began his apprenticeship in 1773.
Bioradiations.
"Bioradiations" is an online magazine created by Bio-Rad that offers researchers case studies, whitepapers, tips, techniques, and topics related to Bio-Rad products and services. "Bioradiations" began as a print magazine that was launched in 1965 and was printed until 2011 and replaced with the online publication.