8-K

                      SECURITIES AND EXCHANGE COMMISSION
                            WASHINGTON, D.C. 20549

                                FORM 8-K

                              CURRENT REPORT

                  PURSUANT TO SECTION 13 OR 15(d) OF THE
                     SECURITIES EXCHANGE ACT OF 1934

    Date of report (Date of earliest event reported): May 19, 2009

                            TECHNE CORPORATION
             (Exact Name of Registrant as Specified in Charter)


       Minnesota                     0-17272             41-1427402
(State or Other Jurisdiction       (Commission         I.R.S. Employer
of Incorporation)                  File Number)      Identification No.)

                614 Mckinley Place NE
                   Minneapolis, MN                       55413
       (Address of Principal Executive Offices)       (Zip Code)

     Registrant's telephone number, including area code:  (612) 379-8854

                              Not Applicable
      (Former Name or Former Address, if changed since Last Report)

Check the appropriate box below if the Form 8-K filing is intended to
simultaneously satisfy the filing obligations of the registrant under any
of the following provisions:

/ /   Written communications pursuant to Rule 425 under the Securities Act
      17 CFR 230.425)

/ /   Soliciting material pursuant to Rule 14a-12 under the Exchange Act
      (17 CFR 240.14a-12)

/ /   Pre-commencement communications pursuant to Rule 14d-2(b) under the
      Exchange Act (17 CFR 240.14d-2(b))

/ /   Pre-commencement communications pursuant to Rule 13e-4(c) under the
      Exchange Act (17 CFR 240.13e-4(c))






Item 5.02  Departure of Directors or Principal Officers; Election of Directors;
Appointment of Principal Officers

Effective May 19, 2009, John L. Higgins was elected to the Board of
Directors of Techne Corporation (the "Company") and to the Nominations and
Governance Committee, Audit Committee and Compensation Committee of the Board.
In connection with his service on the Company's Board and Committees, Mr.
Higgins will receive annual cash compensation and stock options pursuant to
the Company's director compensation policy.

Mr. Higgins was not named as director pursuant to any arrangement or
understanding with any third person.  There is not currently, nor has there
been in the past, any transactions with the Company or any of its subsidiaries
or affiliates in which Mr. Higgins has or had a direct or an indirect material
interest.

On May 19, 2009, the Company issued a press release announcing the
election of Mr. Higgins to the Company's Board of Directors.  The press
release is attached as Exhibit 99.1 and is incorporated by reference herein.

On May 19, 2009, the Company issued a press release announcing
that Mr. G. Arthur Herbert, a current director and member of the Nominations
and Governance Committee, Audit Committee and Compensation Committees,
will not stand for re-election at the Company's Annual Meeting scheduled for
October 29, 2009.  The press release is attached as Exhibit 99.2 and is
incorporated by reference herein.


Item 9.01 Financial Statements and Exhibits

     (d) Exhibits

          99.1 Press Release dated May 19, 2009.

          99.2 Press Release dated May 19, 2009.





                            SIGNATURE

Pursuant to the requirements of the Securities Exchange Act of 1934, the
Registrant has duly caused this report to be signed on its behalf by the
undersigned hereunto duly authorized.


Dated: May 19, 2009                   TECHNE CORPORATION

                                      By: /s/ Thomas E. Oland
                                      ---------------------------
                                      Name: Thomas E. Oland
                                      Title: President and Chief
                                        Executive Officer




                          EXHIBIT INDEX

    Exhibit No. Description
    ----------- -----------
       99.1     Press release of Techne Corporation dated May 19, 2009.
       99.2     Press release of Techne Corporation dated May 19, 2009.

EX-99.1

           TECHNE CORPORATION ANNOUNCES THAT JOHN L. HIGGINS
                  HAS ACCEPTED A SEAT ON TECHNE'S BOARD


Minneapolis/May 19, 2009/--Techne Corporation (NASDAQ: TECH) today announced
that Mr. John L. Higgins has accepted a position on Techne's Board of
Directors and will also serve as a member of Techne's Audit, Compensation and
Nominations and Governance Committees.  Mr. Higgins' initial term will begin
immediately and run through October 29, 2009.  Techne's shareholders reelect
Directors on an annual basis.

Mr. Higgins has been President and Chief Executive Officer of Ligand
Pharmaceuticals Incorporated since January 2007 and has been a member of
Ligand's Board of Directors since March 2007. From 1997 until joining Ligand,
Mr. Higgins was with Connetics Corporation, a specialty pharmaceutical
company, as its Chief Financial Officer, and also served as Executive Vice
President, Finance and Administration and Corporate Development at Connetics
from January 2002 until its acquisition by Stiefel Laboratories, Inc. in
December 2006.

Mr. Higgins was previously a member of the executive management team at
BioCryst Pharmaceuticals, Inc., a biopharmaceutical company. Currently, he is
a Director of BioCryst and serves as Chairperson of its Audit Committee.
Before joining BioCryst in 1994, Mr. Higgins was a member of the healthcare
banking team of Dillon, Read & Co. Inc., an investment banking firm. Mr.
Higgins also serves as Chairman of CoMentis, Inc, a biopharmaceutical
company, and has served as a director of numerous public and private
companies. He graduated Magna Cum Laude with an A.B. from Colgate University.

Mr. Thomas E. Oland, Techne's Chairman and CEO, said,"I am extremely pleased
with Mr. Higgins' decision to accept a position on Techne's Board.  His
combination of biopharmaceutical business experience and background as a
chief financial officer and investment banker, combined with his current
responsibilities as a CEO, are all essential qualifications that will benefit
Techne. We are very fortunate to have a person of his caliber on our Board.
I am very confident that he will make a significant contribution to our
future success."

                 ******************************
Techne Corporation has two operating subsidiaries:  Research and Diagnostic
Systems, Inc. (R&D Systems) of Minneapolis, Minnesota and R&D Systems Europe,
Ltd. (R&D Europe) of Abingdon, England.  R&D Systems is a specialty
manufacturer of biological products.  R&D Systems has two subsidiaries,
BiosPacific, Inc. (BiosPacific), located in Emeryville, California and R&D
Systems China Co. Ltd., (R&D China), located in Shanghai, China.  BiosPacific
is a worldwide supplier of biologics to manufacturers of in vitro diagnostic
systems and immunodiagnostic kits. R&D China and R&D Europe distribute
biotechnology products.

Contact:  Greg Melsen, Chief Financial Officer
          Kathy Backes, Controller
          (612) 379-8854

EX-99.2

                TECHNE CORPORATION ANNOUNCES THE RETIREMENT OF
             G. ARTHUR HERBERT, A MEMBER OF ITS BOARD OF DIRECTORS


Minneapolis/May 19, 2009 - G. Arthur Herbert, a Techne Corporation (NASDAQ:
TECH) Director and member of its Audit Committee, Executive Compensation
Committee and Nomination and Governance Committee, announced today that he is
planning to retire at the end of his current term on October 29, 2009.
Techne's shareholders reelect Directors on an annual basis.  Mr. Herbert has
decided to withhold his name for re-nomination as a Director for fiscal year
2010.

Mr. Herbert has been a Techne Director since 1989 and an investor in R&D
Systems since 1980.  He has had a very successful and rewarding 60 plus year
working career as a U.S. Naval Officer, a venture capitalist, a management
consultant and as a Director in numerous private and public companies.  He
received his Masters in Business Administration from Harvard University and
Bachelor of Science in Engineering from the United States Naval Academy.

Mr. Thomas E. Oland, Techne's Chairman and CEO, said, "I have known and have
had the privilege of working with Art Herbert for over 28 years.  As a Techne
Director he has been very influential and mentoring and took a personal
interest in the development of our staff at all levels.  He is a man of high
integrity and honesty who acted in the best interests of our shareholders
while simultaneously being a strong advocate for our employees.  He is
genuinely a very sincere and good man who is beloved by all of us including
Directors and staff.  We will miss him terribly but wish him good health and
great happiness in his retirement years."

                 ****************************
Techne Corporation has two operating subsidiaries:  Research and Diagnostic
Systems, Inc. (R&D Systems) of Minneapolis, Minnesota and R&D Systems Europe,
Ltd. (R&D Europe) of Abingdon, England.  R&D Systems is a specialty
manufacturer of biological products.  R&D Systems has two subsidiaries,
BiosPacific, Inc. (BiosPacific), located in Emeryville, California and R&D
Systems China Co. Ltd., (R&D China), located in Shanghai, China.  BiosPacific
is a worldwide supplier of biologics to manufacturers of in vitro diagnostic
systems and immunodiagnostic kits. R&D China and R&D Europe distribute
biotechnology products.


Contact:  Greg Melsen, Chief Financial Officer
          Kathy Backes, Controller
          (612) 379-8854