Flow cytometry competitors try to differentiate

Edited by the Laboratorytalk editorial team Jul 10, 2006

BD Biosciences and Beckman Coulter continue to dominate the research market for flow cytometry instruments according to a new report from market research and consulting firm BioInformatics

At the same time, the market's leaders are being challenged by other instrument suppliers, including Dako, Luminex, and Guava Technologies, seeking to meet the needs of life scientists for flow cytometers that efficiently employ a variety of complementary approaches and integrate several applications.

In the related market for flow cytometry reagents, the report found that BD Biosciences and Beckman Coulter benefit from the close affinity between use of their instruments and a scientist's preferred brand of reagents.

The reagent market, however, is very competitive with most scientists purchasing reagents from multiple suppliers.

Molecular Probes, Sigma-Aldrich and others are attempting to differentiate their brands to win both share and a larger percentage of their customers' reagent budgets.

The new report, Influencing brand preferences in the flow cytometry market, is based on a survey of 750 life scientists about the types of flow cytometry reagents and flow cytometers that they use and their opinions regarding suppliers in this market.

The sophisticated set of analyses goes beyond previous examinations of this market to measure brand share, customer loyalty, and the relationship between price, performance and perceptions of value.

Tamara Zemlo, director of syndicated research and analysis at BioInformatics, stated: "In this post-genomic world, scientists are looking for flow cytometry instrumentation that can manage the complexity of today's experimental designs".

"Nevertheless, our data clearly illustrate the significance of brand reputation and performance in a scientist's purchase decision for both instruments and reagents".

The market is expected to continue to grow because flow cytometry offers numerous advantages over other cell-based techniques, including speed, precision, the preservation of cell viability and cellular functions, and simultaneous measurements of multiple cellular parameters.

60 percent of the scientists surveyed take advantage of the services of centralised flow cytometry core labs at their institutions.

Zemlo observes: "By promoting their flow cytometry products to not only potential buyers, but also to potential users, suppliers can encourage scientists to request that their experiments be run on specific instruments or use reagents from their preferred supplier.

"One of the major downstream effects of proactively driving brand preference will likely be an increase in future sales due to a need for replacement instruments in the flow core labs.

"Additionally, scientists pleased with their experiences with a specific brand of flow cytometer in a core lab may ultimately decide to purchase their own instrument".

The report clearly illustrates that numerous opportunities exist in this growing market.

By highlighting segments most interested in specific performance attributes, suppliers sway brand preferences in their favour.