Applied biosystems was founded in 1981 by Sam Eletr and André Marion, two engineers from Hewlett Packard. The first product they released, a protein sequencer was a commercial success. Applied biosystems then released a multitude of integrated genetic analysis systems, including real time PCR Systems, thermal cyclers, and more. Prior to 2008, Applied Biosystems was owned by multiple companies, all parented by Perkin Elmer. Thermo Fisher Scientific then merged with Invitrogen under the new name of Life Technologies until 2014 when Thermo Fisher Scientific acquired the company.