Eppendorf welcomes Nobel Prize win for IVF pioneer

Eppendorf has welcomed the recent presentation of the 2010 Nobel Prize in Medicine to British scientist Robert Edwards, an expert in the field of human in vitro fertilisation (IVF) treatments.

The company noted that the accolade for Professor Edwards, who helped to develop the technique of fertilising human oocytes outside the body before implantation, is the first Nobel Prize to be awarded in the field of reproduction.

Professor Edwards' discovery paved the way for the development of later technology such as intracytoplasmic sperm injection (ICSI), which forms the basis of Eppendorf's electronic micromanipulator product TransferMan.

Eppendorf said it has since been able to develop high-precision tools and instruments such as the CellTram series and TransferTip thanks to these advances.

"Demand for IVF treatments continues to grow and Eppendorf remains at the forefront of product development in this area," the company added.

Last month, the firm announced that it will be fully integrating the operations of its subsidiary New Brunswick UK from January 2011 onwards.