Company Directory

Global laboratory supplies and services distributor for life sciences

VWR International Ltd is the UK operating entity of Avantor, a global distributor of laboratory products, reagents, consumables, equipment, and services to the life science, biopharma, healthcare, and advanced technology industries. The company provides researchers, manufacturers, and quality teams with procurement solutions spanning chemicals, cell culture media, single-use assemblies, chromatography products, and laboratory instrumentation across research, development, and production settings.

Genomic diagnostics products for cytogenetics, oncology and rare disease

Oxford Gene Technology is a genomic diagnostics company developing and manufacturing hybridisation-based reagents and assays for clinical and research laboratories. Its product portfolio spans FISH probes, chromosomal microarrays and next-generation sequencing panels, enabling detection of chromosomal abnormalities and somatic mutations across haematological malignancies, solid tumours, cytogenetics and rare diseases. A FISH probe for KMT2A rearrangement in acute leukaemia received FDA De Novo classification as a companion diagnostic in 2024.

Reference materials, genomics tools and measurement science for life sciences

LGC is a life science reagents and reference materials company providing analytical standards, genomics tools and measurement science services to the pharmaceutical, diagnostics, food safety and research sectors. Its portfolio spans certified reference substances, nucleic acid synthesis, genomic analysis reagents and proficiency testing schemes embedded in quality assurance workflows globally. LGC hosts the UK's National Measurement Laboratory for chemical and biological measurement and performs the statutory role of Government Chemist.

Antibodies, proteins and immunoassays for life science research

Proteintech Europe is the UK and European subsidiary of Proteintech Group, a US-based manufacturer of research reagents. The company produces antibodies, recombinant proteins, nanobodies and immunoassay kits for life science research, with a catalogue covering more than 13,000 protein targets. Additional product lines include human cell-expressed cytokines and growth factors in research and GMP grades, ELISA kits, and nanobody-based affinity reagents. The Manchester site supports commercial and technical operations for UK and European markets.

Next-generation programmable gene insertion platform technology

Gene Weaver is a preclinical-stage biotechnology company developing a programmable RNA-based gene insertion system. Its enzymatic system enables targeted insertion of large DNA payloads at virtually any genomic site without introducing double-strand breaks, addressing key limitations of existing tools including variable site integration and restricted payload size. The company received a $515,000 grant from the Bill and Melinda Gates Foundation in May 2025 to advance the technology toward gene therapy and affordable protein therapeutic manufacturing applications.

Manufacturing and laboratory services for diagnostic innovators

Biofortuna is a contract development and manufacturing organisation providing assay development, lyophilisation, contract manufacturing, and controlled-environment storage services to the in vitro diagnostics, point-of-care, and life science sectors. Operating from ISO 13485-certified, ISO 17025-accredited, FDA-registered facilities in Deeside, the company develops and manufactures molecular assays including PCR and LAMP formats, as well as immunoassays, in lyophilised formats for ambient-temperature distribution. Additional services include cell line quality control testing, DNA extraction, biobanking, and stability storage.

Global supplier of instruments, reagents and services for life science research

Thermo Fisher Scientific is a global life science company operating across 26 UK sites with more than 5,000 employees. Its UK operations span analytical instruments, laboratory reagents and consumables, CDMO services for sterile and biologic drug manufacturing, anatomical pathology products, chromatography consumables, and clinical trial logistics. The company serves pharmaceutical and biotechnology companies, academic research institutions, hospitals and clinical diagnostic laboratories.

Cell-based quality control materials for immunohistochemistry and ISH

HistoCyte Laboratories is a developer and manufacturer of cell-based quality control materials for immunohistochemistry and in situ hybridisation. Its products use proprietary cell line processing technology to produce formalin-fixed, paraffin-embedded control slides and blocks with reproducible, well-characterised biomarker expression for targets including HER2, ER and PR. The company serves diagnostic laboratories, biotech and pharmaceutical companies, and offers contract services including custom cell line development and biomarker assessment.

Multiplex qPCR and NGS kits for molecular detection

YouSeq is a UK manufacturer of multiplex Next Generation Sequencing and qPCR kits, panels and reagents. The company offers one of the largest menus of qPCR targets available, covering human infectious diseases, antimicrobial resistance profiling, food and water safety, microbiome analysis, and veterinary diagnostics. Products are supplied as complete, ready-to-use kits compatible with standard laboratory platforms, serving clinical, research, and diagnostic laboratory customers.

Liquid handling consumables, pipettes, and calibration services

Starlab supplies liquid handling consumables and laboratory equipment to research institutions, hospitals, universities, and life science companies across the UK. Its product range includes pipette tips, multi-channel pipettes, PCR consumables, cell culture ware, tubes, gloves, and benchtop equipment. The company also operates Caltech, a UKAS-accredited pipette calibration and servicing facility covering all makes and models.

Molecular biology reagents and immunological raw materials for diagnostics

Meridian Bioscience's UK operation manufactures and supplies molecular biology reagents and immunological raw materials to diagnostic test developers, pharmaceutical companies, and research institutions worldwide. Products include ultra-pure nucleotides, DNA polymerases, PCR master mixes, purified antigens and antibodies, and isothermal amplification reagents used as critical components in the development and manufacture of molecular and immunological diagnostic tests. The London facility is one of the world's few producers of ultra-pure dNTPs.

Manufacturer of amino acid analysers, spectrophotometers, and microplate readers

Biochrom is a UK-based manufacturer of analytical laboratory instruments serving clinical, life science, industrial, and educational markets. Its product range includes dedicated amino acid analysers, UV/visible spectrophotometers, microvolume spectrophotometers, colorimeters, and microplate readers and washers. The company supplies instruments for applications including protein characterisation, nucleic acid quantification, cell density measurement, and quality control in pharmaceutical and research settings. Biochrom also supplies associated reagents and offers instrument service and calibration.