Business Roundup

Albemarle has acquired Cambridge Chemical, a British maker of high-purity metal organic compounds used in the laser market, for an undisclosed sum. Albemarle says it will continue to operate Cambridge’s facility in Cambridge, England.

Ashland Specialty Ingredients has opened a testing laboratory in Wilmington, Del., that will be used to develop technology and test materials for use in lithium-ion batteries. Ashland supplies carboxymethyl cellulose binders to battery makers.

Solazyme has signed an agreement to supply algal oils to Goulston Technologies, a maker of fiber lubricants. Goulston says it will use Solazyme’s high-oleic oils starting with its next generation of textile finishes. Goulston plans to further expand its biobased offerings in 2014.

Makhteshim Agan has signed an agreement with Hebrew University of Jerusalem to jointly develop yeast isolated from strawberry leaves for crop protection. Researchers at the university have found that Pseudozyma aphidis yeast inhibits plant diseases caused by pathogens.

Oxford Nanopore has raised about $64 million in funding from new and existing investors in the U.S., the U.K., and Europe. The firm, a spin-off from Oxford University, says it will use the funds to develop its business in nanopore-based DNA sequencing.

Evocatal has moved its operations to a Monheim, Germany, facility and doubled its lab and production space. The enzyme and chiral chemicals producer now has fermenters up to the 100-L pilot scale and will add synthesis equipment up to the kilogram scale. In June, Evocatal raised $4.6 million in funding.

Celgene has raised its investment in PharmAkea Therapeutics, a drug discovery firm started in 2012 by three former Amira Pharmaceuticals executives with seed funding from Celgene. Pharm­Akea will get $35 million from Celgene over three years as part of a pact to discover small molecules targeting cancer and fibrotic diseases.

Recipharm is expanding its Wasserburg site near Munich, Germany. A nearly $43 million investment will add a fourth production area for lyophilization and aseptic filling of drug vials and ampules. The contract development and dosage-form manufacturing company says it will add about 40 employees to the 282 now at the site when it completes the expansion in 2016.