Brussels, 12/11/2008 (Agence Europe) - On Wednesday 12 November, the European Commission approved the proposed acquisition of Applied Biosystems by Invitrogen, both of the US and both with a significant presence in the European Economic Area. The Commission's investigation showed that in many of the markets where both Invitrogen and Applied Biosystems are present, their products do not directly compete but are complementary. The investigation focussed on nucleic acid amplification. This allows researchers to amplify (or copy) a segment of a nucleic acid (DNA or RNA) for more detailed analysis. Although Invitrogen and Applied Biosystems are important suppliers of certain reagents used in nucleic acid amplification, the Commission's investigation showed that after the proposed transaction, customers would still have a choice of alternative suppliers. In addition, the investigation confirmed that the functioning of instrumentation necessary to perform nucleic acid amplification is not dependent on using reagents supplied by the same manufacturer. Therefore, researchers would not be limited in their ability to switch reagent suppliers after the transaction. (O.L./transl.rh)