NEW YORK (GenomeWeb) ¡ª Bruker said on Thursday that it has acquired Berlin-based JPK Instruments for an undisclosed amount.

JPK provides microscopy instrumentation for biomolecular and cellular imaging, as well as force measurements on single molecules, cells, and tissues.

As such, JPK provides Bruker with expertise in live-cell imaging; cellular mechanics, adhesion, and molecular force measurements; optical trapping; and biological stimulus-response characterization, Bruker said.

"We have been making a substantial investment in advanced technologies for life science imaging, and have built up a portfolio of fluorescence microscopy products that enable biologists in research areas that require deep, fast imaging at high resolution and at low phototoxicity," Mark Munch, President of the Bruker Nano Group, said in a statement. "JPK's products and applications capabilities nicely augment our current techniques."

Examples of current JPK products include the NanoWizard 4 BioScience AFM, which combines atomic force imaging with optical fluorescence imaging and super-resolution microscopy to image molecules, membranes, and live cells; the ForceRobot single-molecule force spectroscopy platform for investigating receptor-ligand interactions or small molecule-protein binding; and the CellHesion system for quantitative force measurement of live cells and tissues.

Privately held JPK had revenue of approximately €10 million ($11.7 million) in 2017, Bruker said.