Company Description
Bio-Rad Laboratories, Inc. (NYSE: BIO, BIO.B) develops, manufactures, and markets products for the life science research and clinical diagnostics markets. The company is based in Hercules, California and operates a global network of research, development, manufacturing, and sales operations. According to company disclosures, its customers include universities, research institutions, hospitals, biopharmaceutical companies, and clinical, food safety, and environmental quality laboratories.
Bio-Rad’s activities span two major areas. In life science research, the company develops and manufactures instruments, reagents, and related products used in research and biopharmaceutical production and in applications such as food testing. In clinical diagnostics, Bio-Rad provides test systems and specialized quality controls that are used in clinical laboratories. Information from company descriptions and financial reports indicates that both segments contribute materially to its overall business.
Several company communications describe Bio-Rad as a leader in life science research and clinical diagnostics products. The firm emphasizes that it develops high-quality products that support scientific discovery and healthcare decision-making. Over time, Bio-Rad has broadened its portfolio from its historical origins in specialty chemicals for life science research to a wide range of diagnostic and research tools.
Business Segments and Markets
Bio-Rad reports its operations in Life Science and Clinical Diagnostics groups. Life Science products are used in research laboratories, biopharmaceutical production settings, and in food safety and related testing. Clinical Diagnostics products include test systems and quality control materials used in clinical laboratories. Company financial releases describe sales in both segments and discuss factors such as academic research funding, biotech funding conditions, and reimbursement rates in certain geographies as drivers of segment performance.
The company serves a diverse customer base. Its own descriptions highlight universities and research institutions that use Bio-Rad products in basic and applied research, hospitals and clinical laboratories that rely on diagnostic systems and quality controls, and biopharmaceutical companies and other applied laboratories that use its technologies in development and production workflows, as well as in food safety and environmental quality testing.
Geographic Reach and Scale
Bio-Rad characterizes itself as operating a global network of research, development, manufacturing, and sales operations. Prior descriptions of the business note that the company has major markets in the Americas, Europe, and Asia. Company communications also refer to thousands of employees worldwide and multibillion-dollar annual revenues, indicating a large operational scale within the analytical laboratory instrument manufacturing and diagnostics space.
Droplet Digital PCR and Genomics
A notable focus area for Bio-Rad is Droplet Digital PCR (ddPCR) technology. Company news and presentations describe Bio-Rad as having a leadership position in digital PCR, and more recent announcements highlight an expanded ddPCR product portfolio. Bio-Rad has launched multiple Droplet Digital PCR platforms, including systems described as QX Continuum and the QX700 series, alongside its existing QX200 and QX600 ddPCR systems. These platforms are used in life science research and diagnostic applications, and the company notes that the portfolio includes a large number of assays.
According to Bio-Rad, the ddPCR product line is used across a range of applications in genomics research and applied science, including areas such as oncology, infectious disease, and genetic research, as well as in environmental testing, cell and gene therapy workflows, and biopharma quality control. Company communications also emphasize workflow features of these platforms, such as multiplexing capabilities, throughput, and software for data interpretation.
Strategic Investments and Relationships
Bio-Rad holds an equity investment in Sartorius, a laboratory and bioprocessing supplier. Company financial reports discuss changes in the fair market value of this investment and note that such changes can significantly affect reported net income or loss in a given period. This investment is presented as a notable component of Bio-Rad’s balance sheet and financial results.
In addition, Bio-Rad has pursued acquisitions to expand its technology base. For example, the company disclosed that an affiliate completed the acquisition of Stilla Technologies, a digital PCR developer. Press releases state that this acquisition expanded Bio-Rad’s Droplet Digital PCR offering and that newly introduced platforms from Stilla complement Bio-Rad’s existing ddPCR systems.
Regulatory Filings and Reporting
Bio-Rad files periodic and current reports with the U.S. Securities and Exchange Commission. Recent Form 8-K filings reference the announcement of quarterly financial results, supplemental earnings presentations, and corporate developments such as leadership changes and acquisitions. The company also uses non-GAAP financial measures in its communications, explaining how these measures are used internally to evaluate business performance and to supplement GAAP results.
Corporate Background and History
Company communications note that Bio-Rad was co-founded in 1952 in Berkeley, California by Alice N. Schwartz and David Schwartz. Early in its history, the company developed specialty chemicals for life science research and later expanded into clinical diagnostics. A press release recounts that Bio-Rad’s first test kit for thyroid function, based on separation techniques and materials developed for research, marked its entry into clinical diagnostics and helped shape its subsequent growth in that field.
Bio-Rad’s history of involvement in both research and diagnostics underpins its current positioning in life sciences and clinical laboratory markets. The company’s narrative emphasizes continuity between its early focus on research tools and its later development of diagnostic products.
Stock Information
Bio-Rad Laboratories, Inc. is incorporated in Delaware and its common stock trades on the New York Stock Exchange under the symbols BIO and BIO.B. The company’s SEC filings and investor communications provide details on its capital structure, financial performance, and material events, and are a primary source of information for investors and analysts following BIO stock.