Argyll company Integrin Advanced Biosystems Ltd announced this week that it has acquired the entire share capital of Penicuik-based Biobest Laboratories Ltd. The combined group forms a significant new force on the Scottish life science sector, with turnover in excess of £3M and a combined staff of over 50. This is an important step in Integrin’s strategy of building a strong life science business, based in Scotland and operating internationally. 

Integrin was the UK’s first specialist seafood safety laboratory, with a particular expertise in marine biotoxins. The company has grown rapidly since its foundation in 1999, servicing a customer-base from Cornwall to Shetland which ranges from multiples such as Sainsbury’s to individual shellfish farmers. The company also undertakes important regulatory work for the Food Standards Agency.

Biobest is the UK’s leading specialist laboratory in veterinarian virology and serology with considerable expertise in cell biology and viral culture. It recently moved to new laboratory facilities at the Edinburgh Technopole.  

The two companies have very complementary skill sets supported by highly trained graduate staff. Both have recently begun offering testing services to the salmon aquaculture industry. Integrin’s CEO, Dr Douglas McKenzie and Biobest’s founder and Managing Director, Dr David Snodgrass have been engaged in close dialogue over the last year as to how the two companies could work together in areas of joint interest.  

Dr McKenzie said: “Biobest were a company we admired and could easily identify with. Both companies were leaders in their respective niche markets and their expansion was driven by focusing on delivering very high quality testing services for our customers. We had been looking for suitable acquisition targets to help accelerate Integrin’s growth. Combining Biobest with Integrin just made so much operational and strategic sense that persuading everyone of the logic of the marriage was the easy part. 

“I am now looking forward to delivering an ambitious expansion of the enlarged business. We are spoilt for choice in terms of possible strategic directions we can take and I would not rule out further acquisitions if these made commercial and strategic sense. We are also very interested in looking at the possibilities for the internationalisation of the business”.