17 January 2012 - US life sciences firm Life Technologies Corp (NASDAQ:LIFE) said on Monday it had agreed to set up a diagnostics joint venture in China with DaAn Gene, a Chinese firm providing molecular in-vitro diagnostics (IVD).

The company did not disclose financial details on the agreement to establish the Guangzhou-based venture, Life Technologies DaAn Diagnostics.

The partnership will focus on IVD assays for oncology, infectious and genetic diseases. It will develop and commercialise molecular diagnostic assays using Life Technologies' 3500Dx Capillary Electrophoresis and Big Dye Cycle Sequencing technologies.

The JV enables the partners to expand the use of Capillary Electrophoresis technology into the Chinese clinical diagnostics market.

The 3500Dx Genetic Analyser was cleared by the Chinese drug regulator for IVD diagnostic use in October 2011.