Merck Wins R&D 100 Award for Top Invention

"Advancements in gene editing with tools like CRISPR are helping our customers discover and manufacture new treatments for the most difficult conditions," said Udit Batra, member of the Merck Executive Board and CEO, Life Science. "We will continue to collaborate with the global scientific community to deliver the promise of their innovations faster and work to accelerate access to health for people everywhere."

Recognition of these world-class products showcases Merck's commitment to empowering scientists and researchers with the solutions they need to develop new tools that can improve human health. The awards, known as the "Oscars of Invention," honor the year's 100 most innovative scientific and technological breakthroughs.

Merck's Sanger Arrayed Lentiviral CRISPR Libraries won in the Analytical/Test category. These libraries are the first human and mouse arrayed lentiviral CRISPR libraries for knocking out and screening gene function. The library allows discovery of genes involved in drug resistance, human disease and a wide variety of biological processes. Researchers can use the entire library to screen the entire genome or they can select specific genes and pathways to screen using the associated clones.

This is Merck's fifth year in a row receiving an R&D 100 Award. In 2015, the AFS water purification systems and Simplicon RNA Reprogramming Technology were named in the process/prototyping and analytical/test categories, respectively. The R&D 100 Awards span industry, academia and government-sponsored research.

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About Merck
Merck is a leading science and technology company in healthcare, life science and performance materials. Around 50,000 employees work to further develop technologies that improve and enhance life – from biopharmaceutical therapies to treat cancer or multiple sclerosis, cutting-edge systems for scientific research and production, to liquid crystals for smartphones and LCD televisions. In 2015, Merck generated sales of € 12.85 billion in 66 countries.

Founded in 1668, Merck is the world's oldest pharmaceutical and chemical company. The founding family remains the majority owner of the publicly listed corporate group. Merck holds the global rights to the Merck name and brand. The only exceptions are the United States and Canada, where the company operates as EMD Serono, MilliporeSigma and EMD Performance Materials.