<PAGE>

                                                                      Exhibit 21

                        SUBSIDIARIES OF THE REGISTRANT
                        ------------------------------

The following table sets forth subsidiaries of Life Technologies, Inc. which are
included in the consolidated financial statements.

<TABLE>
<CAPTION>
                                                     Percentage             Jurisdiction in
                                                         of               Which Incorporated
          Name                                       Ownership               or Organized
--------------------------------------------------------------------------------------------
<S>                                                  <C>                  <C>
Canadian Life Technologies, Inc.                        100%              Ontario, Canada
GIBCO BRL India Pvt. Ltd.                               100%  (A)         India
Laboratory Services Ltd.                                100%              New Zealand
Life Technologies A.G.                                  100%  (B)         Switzerland
Life Technologies A.S.                                  100%              Denmark
Life Technologies B.V.                                  100%  (B)         Netherlands
Life Technologies do Brasil Ltda.                       100%  (C)         Brazil
Life Technologies Foreign Sales Corp.                   100%              Barbados
Life Technologies Holdings, Unlimited                   100%              Scotland
Life Technologies Overseas GmbH                         100%  (B)         Germany
Life Technologies Italia S.r.l.                         100%              Italy
Life Technologies Ltd.                                  100%  (D)         Scotland
Life Technologies Limited                               100%              New Zealand
Life Technologies Mauritius Ltd.                        100%              Mauritius
Life Technologies Overseas Ltd.                         100%  (D)         Scotland
Life Technologies (Pacific) Ltd.                        100%              Hong Kong
Life Technologies Pty. Ltd.                             100%              Australia
Life Technologies S.A.R.L.                              100%  (B)         France
Life Technologies Asia Pacific Inc.                     100%              Delaware, USA
N.V. Life Technologies S.A.                             100%  (B)         Belgium
Serum Technologies (unincorporated joint venture)        40%  (E)         Maryland, USA
Life Technologies Sweden AB                             100%              Sweden
Life Technologies S.A.                                  100%              Spain
Life Technologies Uruguay, S.A.                         100%              Uruguay
Custom Primers, Inc.                                    100%              California, USA
Life Technologies Oriental K.K.                          80%              Japan
Life Technologies GIBCO BRL Co., Ltd.                    59%              Republic of China,
                                                                          (Taiwan)
Serum Technologies Holdings, Inc.                       100%              Delaware, USA
BioSepra S.A.                                           100%              France
</TABLE>

     (A)  Owned by Life Technologies Mauritius Ltd.
     (B)  Owned by Life Technologies Overseas Ltd.
     (C)  Owned 90% by Life Technologies, Inc. and 10% by Life Technologies
          Mauritius Ltd.
     (D)  Owned by Life Technologies Holdings, Unlimited
     (E)  Owned by Serum Technologies Holdings, Inc.

                                     E-73