Merck 2010 Annual Report Download - page 76

Tools and services from our Bioscience Business Unit help researchers meet increasing demands
as pharmaceutical researchers come under increasing competitive pressure to screen and identify
new drugs with more speed and accuracy.
Therefore, our goal is to create products and services that simplify the work flow for researchers,
offering consolidated and validated solutions. The business unit’s products help to advance life
science research in a wide variety of areas ranging from neuroscience, infectious disease, oncology,
and metabolic disorders to stem cells, cell signaling, nuclear function, and chromatin biology.
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The Bioscience Business Unit sells thousands of products, primarily into the protein research
and cell biology markets. These include instruments, consumable devices, reagents and services
to help customers better understand diseases and biological functions. Their work typically
involves conducting experiments on biological samples, such as cells, proteins, and nucleic
acids. Merck Millipore also offers a wide variety of kits that improve research productivity and
efficiency. Kits enhance research productivity by combining in one box all the disposables,
reagents, and protocols needed to reliably and reproducibly conduct a particular experiment.
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Within the protein research market, we offer multiplex immunoassay and ELISA kits, protein
detection products, and flow cytometry instruments and kits. Researchers use our multiplex
immunoassay kits to understand which proteins may be indicative of a disease state, measure
how a drug affects protein biomarkers, and determine what side effects a drug creates. We are
developing multiplex kits, reagents, and assays for researchers studying immunology, inflam-
mation, and metabolic diseases (e.g. diabetes, obesity, cardiovascular disorders).
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The Bioscience Business Unit is increasingly seeking to integrate instrumentation, reagent kits,
validated protocols and technical support. One example of this approach is in flow cytometry,
where we are bringing the advantages to the bench tops of cell biologists.
A major challenge for our customers is to find promising drug candidates faster and then ensure
that they will not generate unwanted or unexpected side effects in clinical trials or when
they are commercially available on the market. To improve the efficiency and economy of this
research, customers outsource research work to the Bioscience Business Unit rather than conduct
Thousands of products developed
for applications in protein research
and cell biology
Merck Annual Report 2010 72