What Lucigen does

Lucigen, founded in 1998 in Middleton, Wisconsin, develops and manufactures molecular biology enzymes, reagents, and kits used across nucleic acid extraction, PCR and qPCR, NGS library preparation, in vitro transcription, cloning, and competent cell transformation. Its proprietary technologies include QuickExtract DNA Extraction Solution, EZ-Tn5 Transposase, NxGen T7 RNA Polymerase, CircLigase ssDNA Ligase, FailSafe PCR optimization, KASP genotyping chemistry, and a portfolio of high-efficiency competent cells (E. cloni, TransforMax, Endura). The product catalog exceeds 130 SKUs following its 2017 acquisition of Epicentre-branded enzymes and reagents, and now extends into instrument platforms (SNPline, Array Tape, MerMade synthesizers, oKtopure) through integration with LGC Biosearch Technologies.

Lucigen was acquired by UK-based LGC Group in 2018 and now operates as part of LGC Biosearch Technologies, distributing through biosearchtech.com e-commerce, regional phone sales in North America, the UK, Germany, China, and Singapore, plus a global distributor network. Revenue is generated primarily through one-time catalog sales of enzymes, kits, and reagents to life science researchers, with an additional OEM/custom kit manufacturing service line supplying molecular diagnostic components. ISO-13485 manufacturing certification enables supply into clinical diagnostics and IVD channels. Primary customer segments are clinical diagnostics, drug discovery, synthetic biology, and gene editing, with agrigenomics as a secondary vertical supported through a partnership with the African Orphan Crops Consortium.

Post-acquisition, Lucigen's commercial scope has expanded horizontally across the genomics workflow, bundling enzymes, kits, oligos, probes (BHQ, Stellaris RNA FISH), and instrumentation under a unified storefront. The company serves a long-tail of academic, biotech, and diagnostic industry customers rather than relying on a small number of large enterprise accounts. No independent revenue is publicly disclosed, and capital structure is wholly consolidated within LGC Group, with no venture financing disclosed post-2016.

Name

Lucigen

Legal name

Lucigen Corporation

Website

https://lucigen.com

Company type

Private

Founded year

1998

Operating status

Operating

Headcount range

11–50 employees

Short description

Lucigen, founded in 1998 and now part of LGC Biosearch Technologies, manufactures molecular biology enzymes, reagents, and kits for nucleic acid extraction, PCR, NGS, and cloning. It serves clinical diagnostics, drug discovery, synthetic biology, gene editing, and agrigenomics customers globally.

Ownership category

akta.pro rank

Product category

Molecular Biology Reagents

NAICS

Analytical Laboratory Instrument Manufacturing (334516)

SIC

Laboratory Analytical Instruments (3826), In Vitro & In Vivo Diagnostic Substances (2835)

akta.pro primary industry

Molecular Biology & Genomics Instruments (PCR/qPCR, Sequencing, Microarrays) (HLAGAIAF)

akta.pro secondary industries

Synthetic Biology & Genetic Circuit Design Platforms (pathway engineering, chassis development) (HLAAAIAD), Protein Engineering & Directed Evolution Platforms (enzyme/therapeutic protein optimization) (HLAAAIAC)

Keywords

• Molecular biology enzymes
• Nucleic acid extraction
• PCR reagents
• NGS library preparation
• Competent cells

Headquarters

HQ city

Middleton

HQ country

United States

HQ region

North America

Offices2 records

Markets served

GTM type

B2B

Offering type

Hardware or Manufacturing

Cost components

Personnel, Operations, Technology or R&D, Marketing or Sales, Supply Chain

Revenue model

1. Enzymes and Reagents Sales: Direct product sales of molecular biology enzymes, reagents, extraction kits, PCR reagents, NGS kits, competent cells, and related consumables to life science researchers, diagnostic labs, and biotech companies
2. Custom/OEM Manufacturing: OEM and kit manufacturing services for molecular diagnostic components and custom reagent formulations

Pricing tiers

Go-to-market motion1 record

Distribution channels3 records

Marketing channels5 records

Core offering

Lucigen develops, manufactures, and supplies molecular biology enzymes, reagents, kits, and instruments used for DNA cloning, nucleic acid extraction, PCR amplification, next-generation sequencing (NGS) library preparation, and protein expression. The catalog spans over 130 Epicentre-branded enzymes and reagents alongside Lucigen-branded competent cells, polymerases, ligases, transposases, and genotyping kits, sold to life science researchers, clinical diagnostics manufacturers, and biotech companies. Operations run under ISO-13485 quality systems through the biosearchtech.com website and global distribution.

Product overview

Lucigen, acquired by LGC in 2018 and operating under the Biosearch Technologies brand, offers a comprehensive molecular biology reagents and instruments portfolio. The portfolio consists of molecular biology enzymes (nucleases, polymerases, ligases, transposases), competent cells for transformation, nucleic acid extraction and purification kits (including QuickExtract DNA Extraction Solution, sbeadex Lightning, oKtopure automated systems), PCR/qPCR reagents and instruments (including FailSafe PCR optimization, RapiDxFire thermostable reverse transcriptase, EconTaq polymerases, KASP-TF genotyping reagents), NGS library preparation kits (NxSeq indexing, Amp-Seq One targeted genotyping, clean-up beads), in vitro transcription kits (Ampliscribe T7, Durascribe), instrumentation (SNPline plate-based genotyping, Array Tape ultra-high-throughput platform, MerMade oligonucleotide synthesizers), and custom oligos/probes including Stellaris RNA FISH probes and BHQ probes. The products target applications in clinical diagnostics, drug discovery, synthetic biology, gene editing, agrigenomics, and next-generation sequencing workflows.

Differentiator

Problem solved

Functional benefit

Products and services

• QuickExtract DNA Extraction Solution Rapid nucleic acid extraction chemistry enabling efficient DNA and RNA extraction from samples for downstream molecular biology applications, used by life science researchers and diagnostic laboratories.
• Ribonuclease R (RNase R) RNA nuclease enzyme used for RNA research applications including circular mRNA synthesis, targeted at molecular biology and RNA research laboratories.
• Endura Competent Cells High-efficiency competent cells designed for lentiviral and CRISPR gRNA library construction applications, used by gene editing researchers and screening labs.
• EZ-Tn5 Transposase Transposase enzyme for mutagenesis applications enabling rapid insertion of genetic elements, used in library construction and mutagenesis research.
• NxGen T7 RNA Polymerase RNA polymerase enzyme used for in vitro transcription and mRNA synthesis applications, serving mRNA therapeutics and RNA research labs.
• CircLigase ssDNA Ligase Single-stranded DNA ligase enzyme for circularizing DNA for research applications, used in DNA nanotechnology and synthetic biology workflows.
• FailSafe PCR PreMix Selection Kit PCR optimization technology providing pre-mixed solutions for troubleshooting and optimizing PCR reactions, used by molecular biology researchers running difficult amplifications.
• RapiDxFire Thermostable Reverse Transcriptase Thermostable reverse transcriptase enzyme for reverse transcription applications in qPCR workflows, used by molecular biology and diagnostic labs.
• EconTaq DNA Polymerase Economical DNA polymerase for standard PCR applications used by research and diagnostic laboratories running routine amplification workflows.
• EconTaq PLUS Master Mix Ready-to-use PCR master mix for simplified reaction setup, used by molecular biology labs running standard endpoint PCR workflows.
• NxGen phi29 DNA Polymerase High-fidelity DNA polymerase for isothermal amplification applications including rolling circle amplification, used in sequencing and amplification workflows.
• TransforMax EPI300 Electrocompetent Cells Electrocompetent cells optimized for cloning large or difficult DNA fragments including BACs, used by molecular cloning and genomics labs.
• E. cloni Competent Cells High-efficiency competent cells for protein expression applications available in various efficiency levels, used by protein production and cloning labs.
• AmpliScribe T7 High Yield Transcription Kit High-yield in vitro transcription kit for RNA synthesis applications, used by RNA production and mRNA therapeutics labs.
• DuraScribe T7 Transcription Kit Nuclease-resistant in vitro transcription kit for producing protected RNA transcripts, used by RNA therapeutics and RNA biology researchers.
• NxSeq Single Indexing Kits Indexing kits for NGS library multiplexing and sample identification, used by sequencing labs and core facilities.
• NxSeq HT Dual Indexing Kit High-throughput dual indexing kit for NGS library preparation, used by high-throughput sequencing labs.
• Amp-Seq One Targeted Genotyping Kit Targeted genotyping by sequencing kit for plant and livestock genotyping applications, used by agricultural genomics and breeding programs.
• Clean-Up and Size Selection Beads Magnetic beads for NGS library cleanup and size selection, used by sequencing labs in NGS workflows.
• SuperROX Reference Dye Reference dye for normalizing qPCR signals across instruments, used by molecular biology labs running qPCR.
• MasterAmp Tth DNA Polymerase Thermus thermophilus-derived DNA polymerase for PCR applications requiring higher temperatures, used by molecular biology and diagnostic labs.
• Bst DNA Polymerase, Exonuclease Minus Exonuclease-deficient Bst polymerase for isothermal amplification including LAMP applications, used by diagnostic and field testing labs.
• KASP-TF Master Mix Kompetitive Allele Specific PCR (KASP) master mix for SNP genotyping applications, used by agricultural genomics and breeding programs.
• SNPline Plate-Based Genotyping System Automated plate-based genotyping system including thermal cyclers, sealers, and barcode readers for high-throughput SNP analysis, sold to high-throughput genotyping labs.
• Array Tape Ultra-High-Throughput Platform Ultra-high-throughput PCR platform using array tape technology for large-scale genotyping projects, sold to industrial-scale genotyping operations.
• MerMade DNA/RNA Oligonucleotide Synthesizers Automated oligonucleotide synthesizers for custom DNA and RNA synthesis at various scales (4, 6, 12, 48, 192 channels), used by oligo synthesis houses and research facilities.
• sbeadex Lightning Nucleic Acid Purification Kit Bead-based DNA extraction system for automated high-throughput nucleic acid purification, sold to high-throughput sample processing labs.
• oKtopure Bead-Based Automated DNA Extraction System Automated bead-based DNA extraction system designed for high-throughput sample processing, sold to clinical and high-throughput extraction labs.
• Locked Nucleic Acids (LNA) Modified nucleotide reagents enhancing oligonucleotide affinity and specificity for probe and primer applications, used by diagnostic and research labs.
• Peptide Nucleic Acids (PNA) Synthetic polymerase and nuclease-resistant oligonucleotides for high-affinity binding applications, used by diagnostics and research labs.
• BHQ Probes Black Hole Quencher-based custom DNA probes for qPCR detection assays, sold to qPCR and diagnostic assay developers.
• Stellaris RNA FISH Probes Fluorescence in situ hybridization probes for RNA visualization in cells and tissues, used by RNA biology and gene expression research labs.
• Custom/OEM Manufacturing Services OEM and kit manufacturing services for molecular diagnostic components and custom reagent formulations, offered to diagnostic manufacturers requiring custom bulk reagent supply.

Quantifiable outcome

• High transformation efficiencies reported by customers exceeding typical laboratory standards

Named customers2 records

Segments5 records

Ideal customer profiles4 records

Technology focussed Yes

API detail

Has API

No

API docs

API detail

Core technology

AI maturity

App detail

Feature8 records

Partnerships

Two partnerships are on record, tiered core and minor.

• LGC GroupcoreStrategic or Co-development Partner · 1 January 2018In 2018, LGC acquired Lucigen to strengthen its reagents offering to the genomics market. Lucigen operates under LGC Biosearch Technologies, combining Lucigen's molecular biology enzymes and kits with LGC's existing genomics portfolio including oligo synthesis and instrumentation.
• African Orphan Crops Consortium (AOCC)minorStrategic or Co-development PartnerLucigen/LGC Biosearch Technologies supports the African Orphan Crops Consortium, providing products and services for the AOCC's mission to improve nutrition and food security in Africa through plant breeding.

Scale indicators3 records

Recent moves6 records

Expansion highlights5 records

Emerging players

• Meridian Bioscience (Bioline): Mid-cap diagnostics and life science reagents company whose Bioline brand offers PCR enzymes, master mixes, and qPCR kits comparable to EconoTaq and RapiDxFire product lines in research and molecular diagnostics.

Direct peers

• Qiagen: Global leader in nucleic acid sample preparation and molecular diagnostics reagents, directly comparable in DNA/RNA extraction kits, PCR enzymes, and OEM diagnostic components sold to similar customer segments.
• Integrated DNA Technologies (IDT): Major provider of custom oligonucleotides, qPCR probes, and gene editing reagents (including CRISPR products), competing with BHQ probes and Stellaris RNA FISH offerings within the same research customer base.
• Bio-Rad Laboratories: Major peer in PCR/qPCR reagents, instrumentation, and molecular biology consumables, including droplet digital PCR and life science research kits that compete with Lucigen's PCR enzyme and kit portfolio.
• Promega Corporation: Direct peer in molecular biology reagents and enzymes, with overlapping offerings in PCR/qPCR, nucleic acid extraction, cloning systems, and cell biology reagents serving similar research and diagnostic customers.
• New England Biolabs: Closest direct competitor, offering a similarly broad catalog of molecular biology enzymes (polymerases, ligases, nucleases), competent cells, and nucleic acid purification reagents to academic and industrial life science customers.
• Zymo Research: Specialist in nucleic acid purification and sample preparation reagents that competes directly with QuickExtract, MasterPure, and sbeadex product lines in academic and clinical research labs.
• Takara Bio: Provider of molecular biology reagents, PCR enzymes, cloning systems, and competent cells, with strong overlap in the synthetic biology and academic research customer segments served by Lucigen.

Broad incumbents

• Sigma-Aldrich (Merck KGaA): Mass-market catalog supplier of molecular biology reagents, enzymes, and biochemicals serving the same research customer base with broader but less specialized offerings than Lucigen's portfolio.
• Thermo Fisher Scientific: Broad incumbent offering PCR/qPCR reagents, nucleic acid extraction kits, and molecular biology enzymes at massive scale via the Invitrogen and Applied Biosystems brands, setting competitive price and quality benchmarks across all of Lucigen's categories.

Market position

Strengths4 records

Weaknesses4 records

Competitive moat5 records

Key risks5 records

Key highlights6 records

Customer concentration

• Xx.com/lucigencorp
• LinkedInlinkedin.com/company/lucigen-corp.

Revenue estimate

Valuation estimate

Number of profiles

Funding overview

Funding rounds3 records

Investors2 records

Funding detail is available on the Subscription and Enterprise plan.Contact sales →

M&A

Investments

M&A and investment is available on the Subscription and Enterprise plan.Contact sales →

Frequently asked questions about Lucigen