Takara Bio

Takara Bio Inc. provides biotechnology products and services, including enzymes and reagents, contracted research and production capabilities, nutraceuticals, and gene-based therapies.

Takara Bio Inc. was established as an offshoot of the Takara Shuzo beverage company in 1967.

Takara Bio also provides genome sequencing, expression profiling, data mining, technical support for immunotherapy research, and the production of custom reagents for gene therapy. In 2018, Takara Bio conducted clinical trials aimed at developing gene-based therapies for diseases such as cancer and AIDS, and the construction of a GMP-compliant facility in Kusatsu City, Japan, enabled Takara Bio Inc. to offer clinical-grade production capabilities.

Takara Bio acquired Clontech Laboratories, Inc. in 2005. Clontech, founded in Silicon Valley in 1984, developed and commercialized kits and reagents for experimental applications, with emphases in cell and molecular biology.

Takara Bio acquired Cellartis (now Takara Bio Europe AB) in 2014. Cellartis was founded by researchers from the University of Gothenburg in 2001 with the objective of providing products and services for research applications involving stem cells.

Takara Bio product offerings fall under three major brands. Each brand originated from a separate company and has since been incorporated under the umbrella of the Takara Bio Group.