Oct. 6, 2005 -- Invitrogen Corp. (Nasdaq: IVGN) announced it has made a pair of acquisitions. The Carlsbad, Calif., provider of life science technologies for disease research, drug discovery, and commercial bioproduction announced it has acquired Quantum Dot Corp. as well as the BioPixels business unit of BioCrystal Ltd. Terms were not disclosed.

The two acquisitions will help support Invitrogen's molecular probes business, according to a news release issued by Invitrogen. In addition, Invitrogen announced that it had secured an exclusive license for a novel nanocluster technology from Georgia Tech Research Corp. Invitrogen says that the combination of the acquisition and the license will help it create new products for the visualization and understanding of cellular processes, molecular interactions, and other factors essential for diagnosing and treating disease.

Quantum Dot, of Hayward, Calif., launched its first product based on nanobiotechnology, the Qdot 605 Streptavidin Conjugate, in 2002 and has broadened its product line significantly in the ensuing years. Qdots are semiconductor nanocrystals used in life science and other research. BioPixels, of Westerville, Ohio, provides novel coatings and metal alloys for semiconductor nanocrystals for use in automating assays of complex biological samples. Invitrogen will seek to combine both companies' technologies to make smaller, brighter and less toxic particles.

In a separate move, Invitrogen also announced it has closed on its previously-announced acquisition of Biosource International Inc. The company says the deal supports its growing collection of protein and primary antibody products gained from other acquisitions completed earlier this year.