Danaher Corporation is a medical company that 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 components of life, including genes, proteins, metabolites, and cells, to understand the causes of diseases, identify new treatments, and test new drugs and vaccines. The Diagnostics segment consists of analytical instruments, reagents, consumables, software, and services that hospitals, doctor's offices, reference laboratories, and other critical care institutions use to diagnose diseases and make treatment decisions. The Environmental & Applied Solutions segment offers products and services that help protect critical resources and ensure the safety of global food and water supplies. The company was founded by Steven M. Rales and Mitchell P. Rales in 1984 and is headquartered in Washington, D.C.