Invitrogen Corporation provides products and services that support academic and government research institutions and pharmaceutical and biotech companies worldwide in their efforts to improve the human condition. The company provides essential life sciences technologies for disease research, drug discovery and commercial bio-production. Invitrogen's own R&D efforts are focused on breakthrough innovation in all major areas of biological discovery, including functional genomics, proteomics, bio-informatics, drug discovery and cell biology - putting its products in nearly every major laboratory in the world.
Founded in 1987, Invitrogen is headquartered in Carlsbad, California and has a presence in more than 70 countries around the world. Globally, the company employs approximately 4000 scientists and other professionals.
Invitrogen's technologies are used in a number of applications, such as:
At a corporate level, Invitrogen's products encompass various key market segments in the life sciences industry, including molecular biology and cell culture. The molecular biology products serve the research community with reagents, complete research kits designed for specific applications and custom laboratory services. These products and services simplify and improve gene identification, cloning, expression and analysis techniques - the fundamental steps for understanding life at the molecular level.
Under the GIBCO brand, Invitrogen is the leading supplier of cell culture products, services, and technologies for research and biopharmaceutical manufacturing applications. GIBCO offerings range from catalogue and custom products to research services, products for large-scale production, technical expertise and regulatory support.
Invitrogen has consolidated its presence in the bioproduction services sector with the purchase of contract service organisation BioReliance early in 2004. BioReliance, which provides testing, development, manufacturing, quality control and quality assurance services to the pharmaceutical, biopharmaceutical, medical device and chemical sectors, is based in Maryland, USA, but has a significant presence in Stirling in Scotland, as well as bases in Japan and Germany. The Stirling facility employs around 110 staff, providing testing and cGMP manufacturing services for biopharmaceutical companies throughout the UK and Europe.
Globally, Invitrogen's turnover exceeded $1bn in 2004, representing a 32 per cent increase on 2003. Much of the company's growth has come via acquisition, with Invitrogen adding ten companies to its stable at a global level during the course of 2003/04. Highlights have included the integration of Molecular Probes, BioReliance (bioproduction services), Protometrix (protein arrays), DNA Research Innovations (NA purification) and the most recent acquisition announcements of Zymed (antibodies) and Dynal Biotech (purification and tissue typing).
Invitrogen is poised for strong growth, with plans to accelerate innovation in science and technology and enable biological understanding around the world.
