April 27 (Reuters) - Medical equipment maker Thermo

Fisher Scientific ( TMO ) said on Monday it would sell its

microbiology business to private equity firm Astorg for about

$1.08 billion.

* Deal consists of cash and a $50 million seller note.

* The microbiology business supplies antimicrobial

susceptibility testing and culture media products used for

clinical, pharmaceutical and food safety applications.

* The unit, a part of Thermo Fisher's specialty diagnostics

segment, recorded $645 million in revenue in 2025.

* "The transaction reflects our active management of the

company and provides additional capital we can deploy to create

shareholder value," said Marc Casper, chief executive officer of

Thermo Fisher.

* The company expects the transaction to close in the second

half of 2026.

* Thermo Fisher expects the deal to be dilutive to adjusted

earnings per share by $0.15 in the first full year after it

closes.

* The company said it would provide details on the expected

impact to its 2026 forecast during its second quarter earnings

call.