Merck

Merck KGaA, Darmstadt, Germany is a leading global science and technology company headquartered in Darmstadt, Germany, with core businesses in life science, healthcare, and electronics. The company operates in 65 countries with over 62,000 employees worldwide, including around 26,000 employees dedicated to its life science division.

Merck’s life science business provides one of the most comprehensive portfolios in the industry, enabling scientists and industrial customers to conduct experiments, develop new products, and manufacture at scale. In the United States and Canada, this division operates as MilliporeSigma. Its offerings span reagents, consumables, equipment, digital tools, and services, supporting applications in pharmaceutical research and manufacturing, biotechnology, food and beverage safety, environmental monitoring, clinical diagnostics, and academic research.

Merck’s life science division plays a critical role across the entire R&D and production workflow—from sample collection and preparation, to analysis, purification, and manufacturing. The company also invests heavily in digital solutions, automation, and sustainable technologies to drive efficiency and reduce environmental impact.

Key Sub-Brands and Representative Products

1. Sigma-Aldrich

   • Focus: Laboratory chemicals, reagents, biochemicals, and molecular biology products.

   • Product Examples: Organic and inorganic chemicals, PCR kits and reagents, antibodies, enzymes, buffers, cell culture media, CRISPR genome editing tools, and analytical standards.

2. Millipore

   • Focus: Filtration, separation, and purification technologies for lab and industrial use.

   • Product Examples: Stericup® and Steritop® filtration units, Amicon® Ultra centrifugal filters, Express® membrane filters, Mobius® single-use bioprocessing systems, and bioreactors.

3. SAFC (Sigma-Aldrich Fine Chemicals)

   • Focus: Raw materials and services for biopharmaceutical manufacturing.

   • Product Examples: Cell culture media and supplements, process buffers, stabilizers, excipients, and custom manufacturing services under GMP compliance.

4. Milli-Q

   • Focus: Laboratory ultrapure water purification systems.

   • Product Examples: Milli-Q® IQ 7000, Elix® water systems, and Q-POD® dispensing units, delivering water for analytical chemistry, molecular biology, and microbiology applications.

5. Supelco

   • Focus: Analytical chemistry and chromatography solutions.

   • Product Examples: HPLC and GC columns (Ascentis®, SLB®), solid-phase extraction (SPE) cartridges, QuEChERS kits, reference standards, and sample preparation consumables.

Overall, Merck KGaA’s life science division combines decades of expertise with a strong innovation pipeline, serving as a key partner for researchers, manufacturers, and quality control laboratories worldwide. By integrating its broad product portfolio with technical services and digital capabilities, the company supports the global scientific community in delivering breakthroughs that improve health, safety, and sustainability.