Qiagen — a Dutch maker of sample and assay technologies for research, applied testing and molecular diagnostics — announced yesterday that its North American subsidiary would acquire a company called eGene for about $34 million. The early-stage company, located in Irvine, CA, has developed a multi-channel sample separation and analysis technology for nucleic acids that includes an affordable and robust instrument, software analysis package, and a selection of consumable cartridges specifically designed for high-value applications in the molecular diagnostic and research markets. eGene’s HDA-GT12 Genetic Analyzer is a multi-capillary system that incorporates many capabilities into a single platform, integrating automatic sample loading, separation, and data analysis. Qiagen expects the addition of eGene’s technology to add revenues of about $2 million in the second half of 2007. The transaction is expected to close early in the third quarter.