Agilent Technologies has signed a definitive agreement to acquire privately held Advanced Analytical Technologies, Inc. (AATI), a provider of capillary electrophoresis (CE)–based solutions for nucleic acid analysis, for $250 million in cash.

Instruments made by Advanced Analytical Technologies use parallel CE with UV absorbance or fluorescence detection for nucleic acid analysis. Examples of applications include CRISPR mutation detection, determining oligonucleotide purity, and genomic DNA analysis.

“Technology advances in genomics, metabolomics, and proteomics are driving growth and demand for innovative new solutions,” said Stefan Schuette, vice president and general manager of Agilent’s Liquid Phase Separations division. “The value of this acquisition is in the expanded capabilities for emerging applications that Agilent and AATI together can offer.”