Millipore and Gen-Probe have formed an alliance to develop, manufacture and commercialize on an exclusive basis nucleic acid testing (NAT) products for rapid microbiological and virus monitoring in the biotech and pharmaceutical industries.

Millipore's sample preparation technology can isolate a single microorganism from large volumes of fluid. Gen-Probe's NAT technology can amplify and detect minuscule quantities of microorganism-specific RNA in hours or less. The companies believe that the combination of both technologies is ideal for rapid molecular-based microbiological testing in biotech and pharmaceutical manufacturing.

Under the terms of the agreement, Gen-Probe will be primarily responsible for assay development and manufacturing, while Millipore will manage worldwide commercialization. The companies expect to launch the first of a series of new rapid biological testing products in 2007.