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]
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]