Deals and acquisitions
• Merck moves to upgrade Protein A chromatography. Merck has signed a definitive agreement to acquire JSR Life Sciences’ chromatography business, adding Amsphere Protein A resin technology to strengthen downstream purification of monoclonal antibodies and other therapeutic proteins; closing is expected by the end of Q2 2026.
• Velaris snaps up Markes to deepen automated sample prep. Lab-automation platform Velaris (Battery Ventures-backed) has acquired Markes International, bringing thermal desorption and GC/GC-MS sample-introduction strengths (plus SepSolve GC×GC/ToF MS and data tools) into its growing environmental/industrial analysis portfolio.
• Shimadzu to acquire Tescan in electron microscopy push. Tescan confirmed a definitive agreement for its sale to Shimadzu, positioning Tescan’s microscopy and imaging (SEM, FIB-SEM, TEM, Micro-CT) as a “missing piece” in Shimadzu’s analytical measurement business; Shimadzu’s materials notes an anticipated purchase price of USD 678M and a first-half 2026 close (planned), pending approvals.
• Specac buys Amax Precision to scale OEM manufacturing. Specac has acquired Singapore-headquartered precision contract manufacturer Amax, aiming for deeper vertical integration (machining through higher-level assembly/test) and a larger global footprint for OEM partners – now 400+ employees across three continents.
Collaborations and partnerships
• Thermo Fisher + NVIDIA: toward autonomous, AI-connected labs. The companies are pairing Thermo Fisher’s instruments/software with NVIDIA AI infrastructure (including DGX Spark, NeMo and BioNeMo) to reduce manual lab steps and progressively increase automation, accuracy, and speed – framed as an on-ramp to “lab-in-the-loop” science.
• Sapio builds an ELN partner ecosystem around ELaiN. Sapio Sciences has launched third-party integrations inside its AI lab notebook (ELaiN), spanning foundation models/infrastructure (e.g., AWS Bedrock) and domain tools (cheminformatics, docking, simulation, knowledge/ontology), with an emphasis on keeping workflows – and audit trails – inside governed environments.
• BRANDTECH partners with Copia Scientific for LHS sales/service. BRANDTECH Scientific will lean on Copia’s service engineers for preventative maintenance/support, while also expanding sales reach and applications depth for the BRAND Liquid Handling Station across the US and Canada.
Product releases
• Agilent launches a high-throughput digital pathology scanner for Europe. The new Agilent S540MD Slide Scanner System (Agilent-branded Hamamatsu NanoZoomer S540MD) targets high-volume workflows with up to 540 slides, continuous loading, standard rack compatibility, and AI-assisted tissue detection; initial availability covers multiple European markets including the UK.
• Thermo Fisher expands handheld XRF performance with Niton XL5 Plus. The Niton XL5 Plus handheld X-ray fluorescence (XRF) emphasizes lab-quality field results with a 5W X-ray tube, improved geometry for lower LODs, dynamic current adjustment, and a graphene window – packaged in a 2.8 lb (1.3 kg) form factor with hot-swap batteries and onboard cameras for traceable measurements.
• BRANDTECH refreshes the Transferpette line with a comfort-and-control redesign. The Transferpette pro adds a slim ergonomic handle, a rotatable finger rest (multi-position), counter-protection, and a “User Adjustment” mechanism for quick reversible fine-tuning to different liquids, temperatures, and tip styles – alongside tool-free permanent calibration.
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