Thermo Fisher Scientific to acquire Ahura Scientific

Thermo Fisher Scientific has announced its intentions to acquire Ahura Scientific, a firm that supplies handheld spectrometers.

Ahura Scientific, which specialises in field-deployed analytical instruments for human health and public safety, will be purchased for $145 million (88.9 million pounds), with the potential for an earn-out payment based on 2010 financial targets also existing.

Its products will serve to expand Thermo Fisher’s range of portable analytical devices, which work to rapidly identify and authenticate a range of molecular and elemental substances.

Employing around 120 members of staff, Ahura Scientific generated full-year revenue of approximately $45 million in 2009.

Marc Casper, president and chief executive officer of Thermo Fisher Scientific, said that the buyout allows the firm to “leverage our commercial channel, product development expertise and software over multiple laboratory and portable instrument platforms”.

Last month, Thermo Fisher Scientific won a contract with the National Children’s Study, becoming the organisation’s new biological and environmental sample repository partner.