Santa Cruz Biotechnology

Santa Cruz Biotechnology, Inc. (SCBT) is a developer of biological products for medical research,^[1][2] and is one of the world's largest suppliers of antibodies.^[3] Santa Cruz Biotechnology headquarters is located in Dallas, Texas, with additional US facilities in Paso Robles, California,^[4] and Sun Valley, Idaho. The company also has international locations in Germany, Shanghai, and Canada.^[5] It is focused on the production of research tools and reagents, which also include biochemicals, labware, and CRISPR products.^[6]

History

SCBT was founded in 1991 by Dr. John Stephenson and his wife Brenda Stephenson in Santa Cruz, California.^[7] The company was originally headquartered in Santa Cruz, California, where the Stephensons acquired vast tracts of land,^[8] and began offering antibodies to the research community.^[9] Other products lines were added over the years – siRNAs in 2007,^[10] shRNAs in 2009,^[11] and laboratory supplies in 2010.

In 2010, the offering of biochemical items was expanded from just a few hundred to over 100,000 different products.^[12] Products related to CRISPR were introduced in 2015^[13] including over 37,000 mouse and human genes.

Santa Cruz Biotechnology has had issues with the USDA for a number of years due to allegations of Animal Welfare Act violations. Three animal welfare complaints were lodged after inspectors found evidence of animal mistreatment at the company's facility in California.^[14] In May 2016, the company settled with the USDA, paying a $3.5 million fine for its alleged violations and agreed to the revocation of its polyclonal antibody dealer license effective from December 31, 2016.^[15][14] The fine is considered the largest in the USDA's history.^[14]