Thermo Electron Corp. announced today it has acquired isotope ratio mass spectrometer (IRMS) GV Instruments Ltd. of Manchester, England, for approximately $21 million (11.6 million pounds), subject to a post-closing adjustment. Thermo, a Waltham, Mass., manufacturer of analytical instruments including IRMS products, said the acquisition will enable it to offer additional products for high-precision isotope ratio determination used in earth sciences, medical and life sciences applications. In particular, GV Instruments will add the capability of noble gas isotope mass spectrometry to Thermo's products for climate research, food and flavor analysis, agriculture research, and medical and life sciences research and analysis. "By adding the complementary range of products from GV Instruments, Thermo can now offer the most sophisticated IRMS solutions to a variety of significant fields of earth science research such as geochemistry, geochronology and climate research, just to name a few," said Marijn E. Dekkers, president and CEO of Thermo Electron. Additionally, GV Instruments' customers will have access to Thermo's global presence and world-class customer support." For more information, visit: www.thermo.com