Although flow cytometry has enabled scientists to analyze a variety of cell types since the late 1970's, today's technology applications, from cell sorting to apoptosis, are even more broad reaching and powerful in the life science research market. Through optical means, flow cytometers distinguish cells on the basis of size and shape and on the basis of identifier molecules inside and on the surface of cells. Nearly all scientists appreciate that flow cytometry provides a lot of information about one's sample in a relatively short period of time. However, scientists are at various levels of sophistication and have differing experimental needs when it comes to this versatile technology. Some think of flow cytometry as a "black box," while others can easily operate the most sophisticated of cytometers. Given these differences in customer needs and scientific knowledge, how can suppliers best secure and expand their market share? To address this important question, BioInformatics LLC surveyed 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 in this study go beyond previous reports on this market to reveal essential strategic insights about customer brand, equipment, and reagent preferences regarding flow cytometry products. Expanding and Solidifying Mindshare in High Growth Customer Segments Respondents recognized brand reputation among the most important influences in their purchasing decision when choosing a supplier for instruments and reagents. While scientists identified certain suppliers as their "primary brands," they usually rely on several brands in this high growth market. Instrument preference across brands varied by the application and customer type. Looking forward, 40% of respondents believed that the number of tubes analyzed per week will increase over the next 12 months, with specific segments of scientists forecasting double digit increases in throughput volume this coming year. Despite the presence of several dominant players, the market remains competitive, with no one supplier or brand yet capturing end-to-end customers for the full spectrum of needs and applications of flow cytometry. As indicated by customer segmentation analyses by market, by geography, and by research needs, very different product preferences exist among subsets of consumers, especially core labs. Suppliers of flow cytometry instruments and/or reagents analyzed include:
• BD Biosciences Immunocytometry Systems
• BD Biosciences Pharmingen
• Beckman Coulter
• BioDETECT
• BioSource (Invitrogen)
• Calbiochem (EMD Biosciences)
• Caltag (Invitrogen)
• Cambrex
• Cell Signaling Technology
• Chemicon International
• Cytopeia
• Dako
• eBioscience
• Guava Technologies
• Jackson ImmunoResearch Laboratories
• Luminex Miltenyi Biotec
• Molecular Probes (Invitrogen)
• Partec
• Quantum Dot (Invitrogen)
• R&D Systems
• Santa Cruz Biotechnology
• Serotec (MorphoSys)
• Sigma-Aldrich
• Southern Biotech
• Takara Bio
• Upstate
• US Biological
• Zymed (Invitrogen) | 
