INTRODUCTION
STUDY GOALS AND OBJECTIVES
This report focuses on DNA microarrays that now play a key rolein product
development in thepharmaceutical industry. Microarrays are also widely used in
academic research throughout biology and biochemistry. Consequently, the markets
for microarrays are effectively split between academia and industry.
DNA microarrays have their roots in the chemical methods of gene analysis that
developed over the past four decades. But the transition from solution chemistry
to a microarray has been confronted with a number of challenges. Coupled with
the practical completion of the human genome project, there has been intense
interest in characterizing the biological mechanisms that underlie human and
animal physiology. While solution chemistry relied on characterizing one to
perhaps a dozen genes at a time, microarrays focus on thousands of genes at
once.
Needless to say, this has lead to an explosion of microarray data, and this
field gives new meaning to the phrase "drowning in data." Simply put,
although there is a great deal of data being generated, tools to analyze it are
not keeping pace. Consequently, it has become very difficult to fully analyze
microarray data. This is now one of the major issues in the field. However, it
has not stopped most laboratories from both purchasing and using microarrays.
While there are a number of studies that have looked at the overall markets for
microarrays, there has been a dearth of information concerning the materials
used to make these goods. In some cases, material requirements for microarrays
have been satisfied by using products of existing industries. These components
such as substrates and probe molecules have then been incorporated into DNA
microarrays.
Often, these products require modifications to make them suitable for use on a
microarray, but the modifications are generally performed by the existing
industry. For other materials used in microarray production, such as marker
molecules, microarray requirements have forced development of new technology.
(Marker molecules are used to indicate whether or not a biological target has
bound to the probe molecule attached to the substrate. This process is called
hybridization, and is the basis for microarray function.) Even in the field of
existing technology such as the production of DNA oligomers, new producers have
sprung up to fuel the DNA microarray market.
This report will help answer the following questions:
- What are the changes taking place in the microarray industry?
- Which companies produce microarrays, and which firms produce products used
to manufacture microarrays? The substrates? The probe molecules? The marker
molecules?
- What are the important trends to watch for with regard to microarrays?
REASONS FOR DOING THIS STUDY
While a number of market forecasts relating to microarrays exist, few have
covered in any detail the materials used to produce them. Not only has
microarray production become a significant industry with sales in the several
hundreds of millions of dollars, but the goods needed to supply microarray
production have become its own industry as well.
Many estimates of microarray market size have presented a very incomplete
picture, especially since they have been based more on wishful thinking than
careful analysis. Some sources predicted the early demise of DNA microarrays,
saying they would be replaced by protein microarrays or microfluidics devices.
This report does not agree with these assessments; it covers the technology of
both DNA and other types of microarrays with enough detail for readers to draw
their own conclusions.
This report examines the current microarray market and the materials used to
produce these goods. Readers of this report will be able to distinguish the hype
associated with microarrays from the reality of the market. Readers also will be
able to make plans based on current and future trends in this business, since
some DNA microarrays and materials are waning in popularity and will be replaced
by different technologies.
CONTRIBUTION OF THE STUDY
There have been some wild claims made for the DNA microarray market. Some
forecasts have valued the market for these goods at more than $1 billion, with
continued double-digit growth. This report takes a much more hardheaded look at
the overall microarray market, and the materials used to produce them.
Overall, DNA microarray use will continue to increase over the next few years,
but the product mix is showing some dramatic changes. These changes may affect
suppliers of materials to the microarray market more than the microarray
manufacturers, since the manufacturers' first concern is whether or not their
microarrays will be marketable.
With this information, readers with business interests can make sound judgments
regarding marketing strategies, investment decisions, or strategic plans
concerning the marketing of microarrays. This report has been written to be
readily accessible for readers with a business background. But accuracy of the
technological aspects of microarrays has not been sacrificed.
SCOPE AND FORMAT
This report focuses on DNA microarrays and the materials used to produce them
including substrates, probe molecules and marker molecules. Microarrays are
widely used in the pharmaceutical industry and in academia. This report briefly
covers their uses in these broad applications, and details the costs of actually
using them.
The report does not include market evaluations of antiterrorist applications,
clinical applications, or other environmental detection applications that may
use microfluidics devices, protein microarrays or DNA microarrays. Protein
microarrays and microfluidics devices are not considered to be commercially
important at this time. Thus, the report covers the industry devoted to
producing these goods and some of the technology behind them. It does not cover
in much detail the materials used to produce either microfluidics devices or
protein microarrays. Therefore, most of the report focuses heavily on DNA
microarrays.
The report is broken into four sections:
- an industry structure section that details the makeup of the firms that
produce microarrays and those that produce materials used in microarray
production, along with selected company profiles
- an extensive technology overview that covers the relevant technology of
DNA microarray production and materials, along with comparisons of various
technologies
- a thorough description of the available products for DNA microarrays, and
the materials used to produce them
- a concluding market applications section that discusses some of the
relevant trends in the use and costs of DNA microarrays.
METHODOLOGY AND INFORMATION SOURCES
This report is the end result of five months of concerted effort by the
author. Primary information sources were interviews with several dozen people in
industry, academia and the government. Many of the people interviewed are
recognized authorities in the field, and provided invaluable assistance and
insight, and I would like to thank all who took the time to speak with me for
their help with this project.
This study was not commissioned by any corporation or individual, and is thus as
objective as is possible.
Secondary sources include a number of publications issued by the federal
government, as well as items from the Internet, corporate literature and
peer-reviewed publications.
Any time an estimate has been made, the underlying assumptions are discussed.
Thus, if readers choose to interpret the raw data in a differing manner, it is
possible to do so. Dollar amounts are in constant 2002 dollars, and average
annual growth rates (AAGRs) are calculated using standard tables.
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