RNA isolation/purification is a critical step in the preparation of biological samples for use in a multitude of downstream applications including real-time quantitative PCR, reverse transcription PCR, microarrays, Northern blot analysis, nuclease protection assays, RNA mapping, in vitro translation and cDNA library construction. The need for purified RNA in so many experiments across several scientific disciplines has quickly made RNA purification an indispensable tool for both academic and industrial scientists, and as such, a large market of RNA purification products - including both commercial kits and reagents - has developed. One significant challenge facing the field of RNA purification is the difficulty of extracting RNA from different types of cells and tissues; a related challenge is sample scarcity, especially in a clinical setting. The heterogeneity of RNA attributes across different organisms and cell types adds additional complexity for suppliers - forcing them to design a range of sample-dependent offerings. In such a product landscape of kits and reagents applicable only to specific organisms, cell and/or tissue types, suppliers find themselves competing for share across a very fractured user base. As a result of these and other challenges, product offerings for RNA purification face performance mandates around yield and sample stability. To gain a better understanding of the RNA purification techniques currently used, The RNA Purification Market: Evaluating Competitive Dynamics & Establishing Benchmarks provides suppliers with insights into the types of products required to support this work. Based on a 34-question survey of 813 scientists who currently purify RNA, this report benchmarks the current market by comprehensively reflecting researchers' experimental parameters and uses for purified RNA, current and future levels of sample throughput and the particular purification methods employed. In addition, it provides a closer look at two directions in which the RNA purification market could be moving-outsourcing samples for purification and the use of robotics for high throughput purification. Many scientists do not use commercial kits and reagents, and instead rely on homebrew methods. Understanding this segment of the market - including trends in experimental design and throughput, as well as articulated reasons for using homebrew reagents - is vital for suppliers trying to convert these scientists into customers of commercial purification products. This report also examines the competitive dynamics of the RNA purification marketplace-from the perspectives of both the reagent suppliers and the kit suppliers. Respondents reveal the supplier attributes that are of the greatest importance and detail areas where suppliers presently perform above or below expectations. The analysis goes beyond merely presenting a composite view of the overall marketplace-it assesses less tangible, but critically important elements of customer value for the leading suppliers of RNA purification kits and reagents, including behavioral measurements (such as customer retention) and attitudinal measurements (such as overall customer experience, intent to re-purchase and willingness to recommend). By utilizing this report to understand the actual experiences, needs and preferences of researchers, RNA purification kit and reagent suppliers will be better positioned to refine existing tools to appeal to the diverse needs of their target market as well as to convert homebrew users to commercial purification products. A combination of in-depth market insights, enhancements and innovations will extend the use of commercial RNA purification products into additional laboratories. Report Highlights The RNA Purification Market: Evaluating Competitive Dynamics & Establishing Benchmarks contains over 70 charts and/or tables and more than 20 cross-tabulations for the 34 survey questions. Below is a glimpse of the key findings derived from just a few of the survey questions:
• RNA is most often purified in order to perform reverse transcription PCR (67%) or quantitative real-time PCR (56%).
• Scientists report that over a quarter of all RNA samples are purified from established cell lines.
• The largest number of scientists (30%) purify RNA from between 20 and 49 biological samples per month.
• According to respondents, Invitrogen and Sigma-Aldrich are the leading suppliers of commercially available phenol/GITC reagents.
• Qiagen is the most frequently cited supplier of RNA purification kits, followed by Ambion.
• 41% of scientists using homebrew reagents for RNA purification cited the number one reason for doing so was price. | 
