European PCR Reagents Industry Faces Tough Challenge in Expanding Research Applications

Business Wire, March 12, 2008

DUBLIN, Ireland -- Research and Markets (http://www.researchandmarkets.com/reports/c85704) has announced the addition of "European PCR Reagents Market for Research Applications" to their offering.

Due to technological advances and the increasing use of genomics and proteomics, polymerase chain reaction (PCR) has become one of the most common techniques used in medical and biological research labs. It can be used for the sequencing of genes, detection of infectious and hereditary diseases, identification of genetic fingerprinting and the creation of transgenic organisms. "Within the realm of drug discovery and development, PCR technology can help in unravelling the human genome and detecting infectious and hereditary diseases by supporting the need to consistently produce pure samples of genetic material," explains the analyst of this research. "Recent revolutions in the drug discovery process have been driven by quantitative PCR (qPCR)'s ability to provide real-time quantifications of the amount of DNA/RNA amplified."

The main end users for research purposes are academic researchers, private research labs and biotech and pharma companies. In the beginning, Taq was the only enzyme used to carry out PCR. Nowadays, thermostable DNA polymerase comes in different types, each offering unique benefits. Some are optimised for fast reactions, others have a lower error rate than Taq due to their proof reading capacity, while some others only become active at very high temperatures (95oC), thereby reducing the chances of mispriming. Due to PCR being a well-established technology, innovation is critical to remaining competitive in this industry. Another concern is whether the cost of instrumentation and reagents can be justified for routine research purposes, particularly price-sensitive academia.

Benefits of qPCR to Provoke End-user Interest

There have been significant advances in technology related to PCR reagents and instrumentation. In particular, the use of qPCR has generated considerable interest. Using fluorophores or molecular beacons, qPCR provides the real-time quantification of amplified genetic material. This technique, first described in the mid 1990s, has rapidly grown in popularity. However, many end users continue to use the conventional PCR method, wherein techniques such as gel electrophoresis and blotting need to be performed at the end of the process to detect the number of DNA sequences amplified. Conventional PCR has been in the market for more than a decade. This well-established technology is less expensive than qPCR.

Numerous growth opportunities are envisioned in the competitive PCR market. However, price has always been a sensitive issue with customers. Therefore, strategies such as installing the instrumentation for free or with a minimum charge and binding consumers to servicing contract/reagents can be used to induce consumers to use PCR.

This Frost & Sullivan research service titled European PCR Reagents Market for Research Applications provides an overview of the PCR reagents market for research applications, together with their revenues. Complete analysis of key market drivers, restraints and trends in the market are also provided. Strategic recommendations that will enable companies to boost their prospects in this expanding market are also detailed. In this research, Frost & Sullivan's expert analysts thoroughly examine the following markets: conventional PCR reagents and real-time PCR reagents.

Markets Covered:

Conventional PCR reagents

Real-time PCR reagents

For more information, visit http://www.researchandmarkets.com/reports/c85704