Agilent technologies has announced a new expansion of its Little Island facility in cork, Ireland.The facility park will be dedicated to developing advanced technologies for real-time analysis of living cells.

The expanded facility includes the recent acquisition of Luxcel Biosciences, which adds a real-time in vitro cell analysis kit based on luciferase labeling to Agilent's cell analysis line.The integrated analytical facility will set up two new laboratories, one dedicated to cell analysis technology and the other for the development of biosensors and related bioanalysis solutions.

Agilent entered the market in 2015 with the acquisition of Seahorse Bioscience, a leading company in the development of specialized Seahorse instruments and live cell dynamics products.Luxcel's addition expands Agilent's portfolio of cellular analytics products and brings new capabilities through technology and research that will drive Agilent's growth in rapidly growing areas around the world.

Todd Christian, General Manager of Agilent's cell analysis division, said: “Advances in technology have enabled researchers to dynamically monitor the health and function of cells in real time, driving global demand for complete cell analysis solutions.”The Luxcel acquisition and Agilent's expansion in Ireland reflect Agilent's commitment to the development of the cellular analytics market.

Martin Shanahan, chief executive of IDA Ireland, said: "we are delighted that Agilent is investing in Ireland.In Ireland, Luxcel has established partnerships with leading research institutions in Euope and UK and has actively developed a number of research projects.This expansion will not only provide Agilent customers with the latest and most advanced solutions, but also have a significant and positive impact on the innovation ecosystem in Ireland and Europe.