Malvern Panalytical has announced its acquisition of Dimer Instruments, a US-based developer of analytical technologies for biopharmaceutical research, to accelerate innovation in protein stability screening and drug development.
The acquisition builds on Malvern Panalytical’s minority investment in Dimer in April 2024 and an established collaboration between the two companies.
Dimer, headquartered in Santa Barbara, California, was founded by biophysical characterisation and analytical instrumentation specialists Dr Stephen Minne and Dr Michael Larkin.
The deal will combine Dimer’s research and development capabilities with Malvern Panalytical’s scientific expertise, established product portfolio and international customer network.
Zetasizer Core
A key outcome of the collaboration is the Zetasizer Core, a high-throughput platform launched last month that combines dynamic light scattering (DLS), static light scattering (SLS) and differential scanning fluorimetry (DSF) in a standard microwell plate workflow.
DLS measures the size of particles in suspension, helping scientists assess protein size and aggregation.
SLS provides information about protein-protein interactions and colloidal stability, while DSF monitors changes associated with protein unfolding as temperature increases.
Together, these techniques provide insights into the physical and structural stability of biotherapeutic candidates.
By consolidating these measurements within a single platform, the Zetasizer Core is designed to help scientists screen more samples, compare candidate molecules and evaluate formulations with less manual handling.
Compatibility with standard 96-, 384- and 1536-well plates also supports integration with laboratory automation systems.
The platform addresses a key challenge in biopharmaceutical development: identifying promising candidates and potential stability issues earlier, before costly downstream development work.
Malvern Panalytical stated that it had designed the system for applications spanning biologics discovery, formulation development and quality control.
Christian Sauber, President of Malvern Panalytical, said the acquisition would build on the launch of Zetasizer Core and support the development of further technologies for biopharmaceutical customers.
Bringing our teams together will allow us to build on that success, develop new groundbreaking technologies and help biopharmaceutical scientists address some of their most critical workflow challenges.
Stephen Minne, CEO of Dimer Instruments, added that joining Malvern Panalytical would enable the company to accelerate future innovation and bring new analytical tools to laboratories worldwide.
Malvern Panalytical has a long history in particle sizing and biophysical characterisation, with its origins dating to the late 1960s.
The company was formed in 2017 through the merger of Malvern Instruments and PANalytical, combining materials characterisation expertise with X-ray analytical technologies
