PCR Market Rises to USD3.5 Billion for 2015

The total PCR (polymerase chain reaction) technologies market was valued at about USD3.5 billion for 2015, up from USD3.2 billion in 2013, according to Kalorama Information (New York, NY, USA), a healthcare market research company.

PCR is a biochemical technology in molecular biology that is used to amplify a single copy or a few copies of a piece of DNA across several orders of magnitude, generating thousands to millions of copies of a particular DNA sequence. PCR technologies are being increasingly used for medical testing, particularly for diagnosing bacterial and infectious diseases, detecting antibiotic resistance, and for cancer exploration of mutations and detection of genetic abnormalities. These technologies, particularly quantitative PCR (qPCR) and digital PCR (dPCR), hold great promise for expanding diagnostic applications.

qPCR is mainly used for DNA sequencing and gene expression in stem cell research, oncology and genetic disease research, pathogen detection and infectious disease research, and plant sciences research. It is also utilized in forensic science, food and safety applications, genetically modified organisms (GMO) testing, and detection of genetic abnormalities and cancer mutations. The coming years are expected to witness an expansion in qPCR-based diagnostic tests.

On the other hand, dPCR provides absolute measurement of copies and is the next logical step in PCR evolution. dPCR partitions sample and reaction components into hundreds or thousands of reaction chambers to count the presence or absence of molecules. The technology provides greatly improved sensitivity in the detection of rare mutations and sequences, and is likely to become increasingly important with the evolution of clinical applications.

“qPCR has established itself as the workhorse in the research laboratory,” said Bruce Carlson, Publisher of Kalorama Information. “But dPCR’s potential is greater in diagnostic applications due to its sensitivity, precision, robustness, and reproducibility.”

The US and European PCR technology markets have been witnessing intensifying competition, resulting in increasing participation in other regions like Asia and Latin America. Among the number of companies in the PCR technology market are large multi-product companies like Thermo Fisher Scientific (Waltham, MA, USA), Roche Holding AG (Basel, Switzerland), and Abbott (Abbot Park, IL, USA), as well as small niche developers such as RainDance Technologies (Billerica, MA, USA).

Related Links:
Kalorama Information
Thermo Fisher Scientific
Roche
Abbott
RainDance Technologies