Danaher Corp. operates as a medical company, which designs, manufactures, and markets professional, medical, industrial and commercial products and services. It operates through the following segments: Life Sciences, Diagnostics, and Environmental & Applied Solutions. The Life Sciences segment offers a range of research tools that scientists use to study the basic building blocks of life, including genes, proteins, metabolites and cells, in order to understand the causes of disease, identify new therapies and test new drugs and vaccines. The Diagnostics segment comprises of analytical instruments, reagents, consumables, software, and services that hospitals, physician's offices, reference laboratories, and other critical care settings use to diagnose disease and make treatment decisions. The Environmental & Applied Solution segment offers products and services that help protect important resources and keep global food and water supplies safe. The company was founded by Steven M. Rales and Mitchell P. Rales in 1969 and is headquartered in Washington, DC.