Agilent to form new life sciences business unit

Agilent Technologies Inc. has formed a new Life Sciences Business Unit (LSBU) within its Chemical Analysis Group (CAG) to better address the growing demand for its life sciences products. The new LSBU will provide more rapid and comprehensive solutions in genomics, chemical and biochemical measurements, microfluidics, informatics, and other analytical areas to its growing customer base in the pharmaceutical, agricultural, genomics, and academic markets. Agilent's CAG will now comprise two business units: life sciences and chemical solutions.

The new unit will be headed by Bill Buffington, who will be vice president and general manager for Agilent's LSBU. He will report directly to Rick Kniss, senior vice president and general manager of Agilent's CAG.

"Pharmaceutical, agricultural and academic research endeavors in this 'Age of the Genome' has created unprecedented customer demand for practical, cost-effective, integrated products that accelerate research of the disease and drug discovery process—presenting a unique opportunity for Agilent. We see this change as fundamental to Agilent's plans to be a leader in the life sciences markets," said Rick Kniss, senior vice president and general manager of Agilent's Chemical Analysis Group. "By organizing our R&D, marketing and sales organizations into a focused Life Sciences Business Unit, we can capitalize on opportunities in the bioscience and pharmaceutical markets with greater speed and agility.

"We also have an excellent position in our traditional chemical, hydrocarbon processing and environmental markets where we are a leader in analytical systems like LC, LC-MS, GC, GC-MS and ICP-MS," said Kniss. "Our customers in these markets are extremely important to us, and formation of our new Life Sciences Business Unit will also allow us to bring new tools to chemical and environmental analysis. Overall we believe that these changes will position us to improve CAG's operational excellence and, in doing so, accelerate our growth and profitability."

CAG's new Life Sciences Business Unit will provide integrated solutions to markets from an existing portfolio of products that include DNA microarrays, informatics, and lab-on-a-chip microfluidics solutions, as well as HPLC, LC-MS, and CE instruments and data systems.

For more information: Agilent Technologies, Chemical Analysis Group, 1601 California Ave., Palo Alto, CA 94304-1111. Tel: 800-227-9770. Fax: 302-633-8916.

Edited by Drew Bowden
Assistant Editor, Laboratory Network.com