Eppendorf (company)
Encyclopedia
Eppendorf is a provider of equipment for the field of biotechnology
. The company develops, produces and distributes devices and systems for use in life science research
laboratories worldwide.
Eppendorf was founded on the campus
of the University
Medical Center Hamburg
-Eppendorf
(Germany) in 1945 and has approximately 2,500 employees worldwide. The company operates subsidiaries in 20 countries and is represented in all other major markets by distributors.
handling, as well as a broad range of equipment for DNA amplification (polymerase chain reaction
).
Independent of the brand
, the 1.5 mL micro test tube is known as the “eppi” tube in most laboratories and has become a genericized trademark
like Kleenex
.
followed by West Europe and Asia
.
Dr. Heinrich Netheler was born on a farm
in Northern Germany
on May 27, 1909. Being the oldest son, he was supposed to take over the farm, but instead decided to study engineering in Brunswick. In Berlin
, Dr. Netheler obtained his doctorate
with a thesis on ways of optimizing rod antennas in aircraft
.
Hans Hinz, by contrast, was a true native of Hamburg
. Born in the city’s Eimsbüttel
district on August 19, 1909, he studied physics in his home town and obtained his doctorate with a thesis on elastic deformations in Seignette’s salt. The two men met in 1939 at the “German Experimental Institute for Aviation”. In 1943, they switched to the newly established “National High-Frequency Research Authority” in Travemuende.
After World War II
, the two scientists started to establish a small company on the territory of the Hamburg
Eppendorf University Hospital: the “Dr. Netheler Work Group”.
The hospital management
assigned Mr. Hinz and Mr. Netheler and their employees a shed on the grounds. The group consisted of twenty physicists and engineers, including their measuring instruments and research documentation.
As a result of the demolition by allied bombing
, most of the civil infrastructure
had been destroyed. A shortage of medical equipment and many destroyed medical devices slowed down hospital work.
The team repaired broken instruments and developed new devices at the physicians requests.
Based on these requests, they developed the “Stimulator” (a stimulation current device), the “Thermorapid” (the first electric medical thermometer
), the Eppendorf photometer
, and a number of other pioneering devices of modern medical technology.
By 1954, the shed had become too small. The company, meanwhile renamed “Netheler & Hinz GmbH”, moved to new premises outside the hospital area. Since 1965, the corporate headquarter building is located in the North of Hamburg.
In 1962, the microliter system was introduced. This package included the first piston stroke pipette
, small plastic
-made tubes, and a centrifuge
for these micro test tubes.
In the year 2000 Eppendorf converted to a corporation
, gaining far-reaching control functions as a holding company
with around 2,500 employees worldwide in 2010.
In 2007, Eppendorf acquired the US-based company New Brunswick Scientific Co., Inc (Edison, New Jersey
).
Biotechnology
Biotechnology is a field of applied biology that involves the use of living organisms and bioprocesses in engineering, technology, medicine and other fields requiring bioproducts. Biotechnology also utilizes these products for manufacturing purpose...
. The company develops, produces and distributes devices and systems for use in life science research
Research
Research can be defined as the scientific search for knowledge, or as any systematic investigation, to establish novel facts, solve new or existing problems, prove new ideas, or develop new theories, usually using a scientific method...
laboratories worldwide.
Eppendorf was founded on the campus
Campus
A campus is traditionally the land on which a college or university and related institutional buildings are situated. Usually a campus includes libraries, lecture halls, residence halls and park-like settings...
of the University
University
A university is an institution of higher education and research, which grants academic degrees in a variety of subjects. A university is an organisation that provides both undergraduate education and postgraduate education...
Medical Center Hamburg
Hamburg
-History:The first historic name for the city was, according to Claudius Ptolemy's reports, Treva.But the city takes its modern name, Hamburg, from the first permanent building on the site, a castle whose construction was ordered by the Emperor Charlemagne in AD 808...
-Eppendorf
Eppendorf
Eppendorf can refer to:*Eppendorf, Saxony, a German town in the Freiberg district in Saxony*Hamburg-Eppendorf, a quarter of Hamburg*Eppendorf, Bochum*Eppendorf , a biotechnology company in Hamburg-Eppendorf...
(Germany) in 1945 and has approximately 2,500 employees worldwide. The company operates subsidiaries in 20 countries and is represented in all other major markets by distributors.
Products
The product range includes pipettes, dispensers, mixers, and laboratory centrifuges as well as consumables such as micro test tubes, micro plates, and pipette tips. In addition, Eppendorf provides instruments and systems for cell manipulation, automated devices for liquidLiquid
Liquid is one of the three classical states of matter . Like a gas, a liquid is able to flow and take the shape of a container. Some liquids resist compression, while others can be compressed. Unlike a gas, a liquid does not disperse to fill every space of a container, and maintains a fairly...
handling, as well as a broad range of equipment for DNA amplification (polymerase chain reaction
Polymerase chain reaction
The polymerase chain reaction is a scientific technique in molecular biology to amplify a single or a few copies of a piece of DNA across several orders of magnitude, generating thousands to millions of copies of a particular DNA sequence....
).
Independent of the brand
Brand
The American Marketing Association defines a brand as a "Name, term, design, symbol, or any other feature that identifies one seller's good or service as distinct from those of other sellers."...
, the 1.5 mL micro test tube is known as the “eppi” tube in most laboratories and has become a genericized trademark
Genericized trademark
A genericized trademark is a trademark or brand name that has become the colloquial or generic description for, or synonymous with, a general class of product or service, rather than as an indicator of source or affiliation as intended by the trademark's holder...
like Kleenex
Kleenex
Kleenex is a brand name for a variety of toiletry paper-based products such as facial tissue, bathroom tissue, paper towels, and diapers. The name Kleenex is a registered trademark of Kimberly-Clark Worldwide, Inc. Often used as a genericized trademark, especially in the United States, "Kleenex"...
.
Market
Eppendorf products can be found in academic and commercial research institutes as well as industrial companies in the field of biotechnology or in other sectors using biotech research processes. The main market is North AmericaNorth America
North America is a continent wholly within the Northern Hemisphere and almost wholly within the Western Hemisphere. It is also considered a northern subcontinent of the Americas...
followed by West Europe and Asia
Asia
Asia is the world's largest and most populous continent, located primarily in the eastern and northern hemispheres. It covers 8.7% of the Earth's total surface area and with approximately 3.879 billion people, it hosts 60% of the world's current human population...
.
History
The company was founded mid of 1945 by Dr. Hans Hinz and Dr. Heinrich Netheler.Dr. Heinrich Netheler was born on a farm
Farm
A farm is an area of land, or, for aquaculture, lake, river or sea, including various structures, devoted primarily to the practice of producing and managing food , fibres and, increasingly, fuel. It is the basic production facility in food production. Farms may be owned and operated by a single...
in Northern Germany
Germany
Germany , officially the Federal Republic of Germany , is a federal parliamentary republic in Europe. The country consists of 16 states while the capital and largest city is Berlin. Germany covers an area of 357,021 km2 and has a largely temperate seasonal climate...
on May 27, 1909. Being the oldest son, he was supposed to take over the farm, but instead decided to study engineering in Brunswick. In Berlin
Berlin
Berlin is the capital city of Germany and is one of the 16 states of Germany. With a population of 3.45 million people, Berlin is Germany's largest city. It is the second most populous city proper and the seventh most populous urban area in the European Union...
, Dr. Netheler obtained his doctorate
Doctorate
A doctorate is an academic degree or professional degree that in most countries refers to a class of degrees which qualify the holder to teach in a specific field, A doctorate is an academic degree or professional degree that in most countries refers to a class of degrees which qualify the holder...
with a thesis on ways of optimizing rod antennas in aircraft
Aircraft
An aircraft is a vehicle that is able to fly by gaining support from the air, or, in general, the atmosphere of a planet. An aircraft counters the force of gravity by using either static lift or by using the dynamic lift of an airfoil, or in a few cases the downward thrust from jet engines.Although...
.
Hans Hinz, by contrast, was a true native of Hamburg
Hamburg
-History:The first historic name for the city was, according to Claudius Ptolemy's reports, Treva.But the city takes its modern name, Hamburg, from the first permanent building on the site, a castle whose construction was ordered by the Emperor Charlemagne in AD 808...
. Born in the city’s Eimsbüttel
Eimsbüttel
Eimsbüttel is one of the seven boroughs of Hamburg, Germany. In 2006 the population was 246,087.-History:On March 1, 2008 Eimsbüttel lost a part of its area to form the quarter Sternschanze in the borough Altona.-Geography:...
district on August 19, 1909, he studied physics in his home town and obtained his doctorate with a thesis on elastic deformations in Seignette’s salt. The two men met in 1939 at the “German Experimental Institute for Aviation”. In 1943, they switched to the newly established “National High-Frequency Research Authority” in Travemuende.
After World War II
World War II
World War II, or the Second World War , was a global conflict lasting from 1939 to 1945, involving most of the world's nations—including all of the great powers—eventually forming two opposing military alliances: the Allies and the Axis...
, the two scientists started to establish a small company on the territory of the Hamburg
Hamburg
-History:The first historic name for the city was, according to Claudius Ptolemy's reports, Treva.But the city takes its modern name, Hamburg, from the first permanent building on the site, a castle whose construction was ordered by the Emperor Charlemagne in AD 808...
Eppendorf University Hospital: the “Dr. Netheler Work Group”.
The hospital management
Management
Management in all business and organizational activities is the act of getting people together to accomplish desired goals and objectives using available resources efficiently and effectively...
assigned Mr. Hinz and Mr. Netheler and their employees a shed on the grounds. The group consisted of twenty physicists and engineers, including their measuring instruments and research documentation.
As a result of the demolition by allied bombing
Allied bombing
Allied bombing refers mostly to strategic bombing during World War II, as conducted by the Allies of World War II. Targets were places under control by the Axis powers, which included e.g...
, most of the civil infrastructure
Infrastructure
Infrastructure is basic physical and organizational structures needed for the operation of a society or enterprise, or the services and facilities necessary for an economy to function...
had been destroyed. A shortage of medical equipment and many destroyed medical devices slowed down hospital work.
The team repaired broken instruments and developed new devices at the physicians requests.
Based on these requests, they developed the “Stimulator” (a stimulation current device), the “Thermorapid” (the first electric medical thermometer
Medical thermometer
Medical thermometers are used for measuring human body temperature, with the tip of the thermometer being inserted either into the mouth under the tongue , under the armpit , or into the rectum via the anus .-Liquid-filled:The traditional thermometer is a glass tube with a bulb at one end...
), the Eppendorf photometer
Photometer
In its widest sense, a photometer is an instrument for measuring light intensity or optical properties of solutions or surfaces. Photometers are used to measure:*Illuminance*Irradiance*Light absorption*Scattering of light*Reflection of light*Fluorescence...
, and a number of other pioneering devices of modern medical technology.
By 1954, the shed had become too small. The company, meanwhile renamed “Netheler & Hinz GmbH”, moved to new premises outside the hospital area. Since 1965, the corporate headquarter building is located in the North of Hamburg.
In 1962, the microliter system was introduced. This package included the first piston stroke pipette
Pipette
A pipette is a laboratory tool used to transport a measured volume of liquid.-Use and variations:Pipettes are commonly used in molecular biology, analytical chemistry as well as medical tests...
, small plastic
Plastic
A plastic material is any of a wide range of synthetic or semi-synthetic organic solids used in the manufacture of industrial products. Plastics are typically polymers of high molecular mass, and may contain other substances to improve performance and/or reduce production costs...
-made tubes, and a centrifuge
Centrifuge
A centrifuge is a piece of equipment, generally driven by an electric motor , that puts an object in rotation around a fixed axis, applying a force perpendicular to the axis...
for these micro test tubes.
In the year 2000 Eppendorf converted to a corporation
Corporation
A corporation is created under the laws of a state as a separate legal entity that has privileges and liabilities that are distinct from those of its members. There are many different forms of corporations, most of which are used to conduct business. Early corporations were established by charter...
, gaining far-reaching control functions as a holding company
Holding company
A holding company is a company or firm that owns other companies' outstanding stock. It usually refers to a company which does not produce goods or services itself; rather, its purpose is to own shares of other companies. Holding companies allow the reduction of risk for the owners and can allow...
with around 2,500 employees worldwide in 2010.
In 2007, Eppendorf acquired the US-based company New Brunswick Scientific Co., Inc (Edison, New Jersey
New Jersey
New Jersey is a state in the Northeastern and Middle Atlantic regions of the United States. , its population was 8,791,894. It is bordered on the north and east by the state of New York, on the southeast and south by the Atlantic Ocean, on the west by Pennsylvania and on the southwest by Delaware...
).