Innovation is at the core of our Life Science business sector. Across our three business units, our research and development (R&D) teams apply deep expertise to deliver a diversified and relevant portfolio of products and services to customers around the world.
We are increasing our R&D investment to pursue bolder innovation projects and build partnerships in high-growth areas, strengthening our portfolio with new technology anchors. More than 1,700 engineers, chemists and biologists across 12 global R&D hubs are advancing six strategic innovation vectors: our core portfolio, factories and labs of the future, novel modalities, next-generation biology, artificial intelligence (AI) and digital as well as sustainability. In fiscal 2025, our teams continued to advance new technologies and expand our portfolio with a steady pipeline of innovations emerging across our six strategic vectors.
Beyond our own research, we are deepening collaboration with academia and industry to accelerate innovation and advance the global scientific community. Building on our 90-year partnership with Washington University in St. Louis, USA, we signed a memorandum of understanding in July 2025 to support joint research initiatives, technology scouting and research enablement. In September 2025, we also expanded our strategic partnership with Siemens AG, Germany, (Siemens), to combine our Life Science portfolio with Siemens’ digital ecosystem, creating end-to-end digital workflows from discovery to manufacturing.
Science & Lab Solutions
A key driver of innovation in Science & Lab Solutions is the digitalization of the lab of the future, using AI, machine learning, automation, and other solutions to drive workflows, thus increasing efficiency, safety and success rates in drug discovery and development. By combining expertise in small molecules, biologics and new modalities with AI and other digital tools, we are redefining how drugs are discovered, developed and manufactured.
From foundational biological research and animal model generation to crop yield improvements and immunology, researchers rely on simplified, integrated gene-editing tools. Our PURedit® Cas9 Cytosine Base Editors launched in July 2025 offer precision and flexibility for difficult-to-edit regions and are suitable for use with primary and sensitive cell lines. The CRISPR Cas9 RNP base editing technology avoids double-stranded DNA breaks, minimizing off-target effects and ensuring reliable edits for even the most challenging samples.
In September 2025, we expanded ChemisTwin™, an online digital reference materials platform launched in 2023. The expanded platform, featuring over 1,500 calibrated algorithm-based digital references, now includes improved nuclear magnetic resonance workflows and enhanced infrared spectroscopy with custom baseline correction and therefore delivers greater efficiency, precision and speed. Reference materials ensure the quality and safety of medicines and other products (such as food and beverages) from the earliest stages of research and development through quality control and quality assurance testing.
In addition, Science & Lab Solutions earned several industry recognitions. Lab Water Solutions received two major industry honors: Best New General Lab Product of 2024 (Scientists’ Choice Award from SelectScience®) and the Pittcon Excellence Award for The Milli-Q® SQ 2 Series water purification systems. BioMonitoring received the International Society of Pharmaceutical Engineering’s Robotics Application of the Year award for its BioBurden Automation solution.
Process Solutions
In March, we integrated three new analytical systems into our MAST® autosampling solution, an automated aseptic sampling technology ensuring source sterility and hands-free sample handling.
In May, we introduced an update of the mConfig™ cell culture media and chemicals configurator, a digital tool that provides customers with a self-service request portal for their custom cell culture media and process chemicals, performs real-time feasibility checks and gives feedback on manufacturability, including suggestions for alternative components to improve consistency, performance and process control. These features support smarter manufacturing and more intelligent design with our existing product portfolio.
The Pellicon® Capsule for viral gene therapy was also launched in May. This single-use tangential flow filtration device is designed to advance flexible manufacturing. The capsule enables fast and efficient processing of cell and gene therapies with linear scalability across all sizes. It reduces the risk of cross-contamination, minimizes operator exposure to highly potent compounds and enables faster time to market.
In June, we launched the Express® SPG vent filter, a gamma-compatible sterilizing vent filter for single-use applications at a large scale. Its compact design enables high flow rates under challenging bioreactor and mixer conditions, making it ideal for monoclonal antibodies (mAbs) and vaccines as well as cell and gene therapy applications.
The Natrix® CH chromatography membrane device family, launched in September, provides an efficient and scalable purification solution for traditional and novel modalities. By enabling intensified bioprocessing via frontal chromatography, it significantly increases manufacturing productivity and fully eliminates the requirement for column packing.
We also launched Non-Animal Origin Squalene EMPROVE® EXPERT for use in high-risk applications such as vaccine adjuvants. This product is derived from yeast fermentation and offers a high-quality alternative to shark-derived squalene. Its scalable manufacturing process ensures batch-to-batch consistency and reliable supply security.
Also in September, the CHOZN® Elite cell line introduced a next-generation CHO (Chinese hamster ovarian) mammalian cell expression system that grows in suspension culture using chemically defined, animal component-free media. It enables high-producing clones with higher titers, resulting in more efficient production of mAbs or other recombinant proteins.
In autumn 2025, we launched the AAViator™ production platform, an integrated solution for improving manufacturing timelines of adeno-associated virus (AAV) gene therapies. This product launch follows the 2024 acquisition of Mirus Bio LLC, USA, a company specializing in innovative transfection reagents.
In October, we introduced VirusGen® stabilizer – the industry-first stabilizer for cell and gene therapy upstream AAV manufacturing. It simplifies AAV scale-up by extending transfection complex formation time, reducing complex volume and maintaining high titers and full capsids. The result is a simplified transfection process that enables the industry to scale to larger bioreactor sizes.
Life Science Services
In June 2025, we launched the AAV Express Platform, providing biopharmaceutical companies with a streamlined path toward commercial good manufacturing practice (GMP) production for cell and gene therapies. By addressing critical manufacturing needs in the rapidly growing cell and gene therapy market, where approximately 70% of innovators outsource production, the platform aims to significantly reduce costs and development timelines for cell and gene therapies.
In October 2025, we entered into a marketing collaboration with Catalent, Inc., USA, (Catalent), to accelerate and de-risk antibody-drug conjugate (ADC) manufacturing. The collaboration offers a seamless end-to-end path from discovery to GMP-compliant manufacturing, leveraging Catalent’s SMARTag® ADC technology and both companies’ complementary expertise in the ADC field.
In 2025, we advanced the use of next-generation sequencing (NGS) testing technologies to support viral clearance in AAV gene therapy development. As manufacturing methods and regulatory expectations evolve, robust quality control strategies are increasingly critical to ensure product quality, safety and compliance. Our combined NGS solutions enable a broad characterization of targeted and non-targeted sequences in AAV particles, helping to optimize development timelines.