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Rigaku and Merck KGaA, Darmstadt, Germany, Form Partnership to Develop Novel Molecular Structure Analysis Technology

  • Rigaku and Merck KGaA, Darmstadt, Germany, are collaborating to develop commercially available lab solutions employing highly innovative crystalline sponge technology
  • Rigaku will continue to improve its X-ray systems to accommodate the consumables of Merck KGaA, Darmstadt, Germany, to provide turn-key solutions for customers
  • Merck KGaA, Darmstadt, Germany, will develop lab consumables to determine the absolute chemical structure of substances on a sub-microgram scale
  • For more information, contact sponge@rigaku.com

Tokyo, Japan, June 6, 2019 - Rigaku Corporation, a key player in scientific analytical instrumentation, and Merck KGaA, Darmstadt, Germany, a leading science and technology company, have signed a joint development agreement.

Rigaku SpongeTo develop lab consumables based on highly innovative crystalline sponge technology, which determines the absolute chemical structure of organic molecules and enables X-ray crystallography without crystallization of the analyte.

“Rigaku has been at the leading edge of technology in the high-end crystallography market for decades. This project will open new doors for scientists at all levels of expertise across a range of disciplines – in medicine, life science and the evolution of advanced materials,” said Yoshiaki Watanabe, Senior Executive VP at Rigaku.

“We have licensed a new technology with the potential to help labs determine absolute chemical structure quickly, even for samples on a sub-microgram scale. Our innovation project is working on dedicated consumables that will simplify the technology to enable our customers to apply it,” said Isabel De Paoli, Chief Strategy Officer at Merck KGaA, Darmstadt, Germany. “With Rigaku, we have found an extremely competent partner to develop the best devices for the technology, and we are looking forward to working together on this project.”

The innovative approach of crystalline sponge technology can be applied to extremely small amounts of a substance, volatiles and other non-crystallizable compounds. The project simplifies the complex technology and makes it available to chemical and life science laboratories working with pharmaceuticals, fine chemicals or natural compounds that need to determine the molecular structure of substances.

The inventor of the technology, Dr. Makoto Fujita, Distinguished Professor of the University of Tokyo and the Institute for Molecular Science, continues to be involved in the project through the University of Tokyo and the Japan Science and Technology Agency.

The partnership will combine both Rigaku’s proven success in the crystalline sponge area as a manufacturer and distributor of X-ray systems with the unique knowledge of innovative life science products and the analytical consumable market of Merck KGaA, Darmstadt, Germany. It creates an outstanding strategic opportunity for both companies to establish leading products for chemical laboratories in this market sector.

The project is hosted at the Rigaku’s headquarters in Tokyo, where expert scientists and engineers are hard at work designing the next-generation instruments for turn-key solutions and at the Innovation Center of Merck KGaA, Darmstadt, Germany, which aims to create new products beyond the company’s current businesses.

About “Experience the Future” applications: sponge.rigaku.com

About Merck KGaA, Darmstadt, Germany
Merck KGaA, Darmstadt, Germany, a leading science and technology company, operates across healthcare, life science and performance materials. Around 52,000 employees work to make a positive difference to millions of people’s lives every day by creating more joyful and sustainable ways to live. From advancing gene editing technologies and discovering unique ways to treat the most challenging diseases to enabling the intelligence of devices – the company is everywhere. In 2018, Merck KGaA, Darmstadt, Germany, generated sales of € 14.8 billion in 66 countries.

The company holds the global rights to the name and trademark “Merck” internationally. The only exceptions are the United States and Canada, where the business sectors of Merck KGaA, Darmstadt, Germany operate as EMD Serono in healthcare, MilliporeSigma in life science, and EMD Performance Materials. Since its founding 1668, scientific exploration and responsible entrepreneurship have been key to the company’s technological and scientific advances. To this day, the founding family remains the majority owner of the publicly listed company.