Bio-Rad

Bio-Rad Laboratories, Inc. markets and distributes a broad range of products for the life science research and clinical diagnostic markets. The company is based in Hercules, California, United States and serves research and industry customers worldwide through its global network of operations. The company employs over 6,300 people globally and had revenues of nearly $1.3 billion in 2006. Bio-Rad was founded in 1952 by David & Alice Schwartz.

Life Science Research
Bio-Rad's Life Science Research Group is best known for its pioneering work in electrophoresis for over 50 years. Other key areas of strength are DNA amplification, chromatography, imaging, gene transfer, microarray technology, nucleic acid and protein quantitation, protein expression, blotting, multiplexing assays, software and the Biotechnology Explorer Program ,and since 1999 : tests for HIV-1 and HIV-2; Hepatitis A, B and C; syphilis and CMV and Immunohematology. Bio-Rad is also notable for developing a test for BSE (bovine spongiform encephalopathy, or mad cow disease) in 2000. Bio-Rad became the first company to supply the tests to Europe and Japan in 2001.

The journal Nature reports that Bio-Rad's and other manufacturers' high prices of supplies drain cash from poorer nations' labs However, this may be an unavoidable consequence of normal supply and demand.

Bio-Rad has an office in Hemel Hempstead, England. This office used to have a large manufacturing division (cellscience), which was closed down and sold to Carl Zeiss in 2004. Since this time, the Hemel Hempstead offices have moved to a smaller building.