Overview

Founded in 1987, Invitrogen develops, manufactures and markets research tools in kit form for biotechnology researchers and companies. The company produces products and services that simplify and improve gene cloning, gene expression and gene analysis techniques.

Invitrogen’s ResGen line offers products and services for functional genomics and gene-based drug discovery. The product line includes DNA and tissue arrays for high-throughput expression analysis, clone and library collections for gene screening, pre-made RNA-based products for high-quality starting material, and mapping resources for genetic analysis. In an agreement with Orchid Biosciences Inc., Invitrogen gained exclusive rights to develop and market SNP analysis products using Orchid’s 96-well format. Invitrogen has acquired five companies: NOVEX, Research Genetics, Ethrog Biotechnologies, Nucleic Acid Purification and Life Technologies.

Invitrogen went public in 1999, raising $60.4 million, and had a follow-on offering the same year raising an addition $147.5 million.

Partners

In an agreement signed in November 2001 with Orchid BioSciences Inc., of Princeton, N.J., Invitrogen gained exclusive rights to develop and market SNP analysis products using Orchid's 96-well format.

Invitrogen received a license for Cell Genesys Inc.’s lentiviral gene delivery technology for commercialization in the research market, in August 2001.

In June 2001, Invitrogen and Ciphergen Biosystems Inc. entered into a collaboration to assess the feasibility of integrating the technologies and product platforms of both companies. If possible, the companies intend to jointly develeop a new family of tools to accelerate research and discovery of gene and protein function.