Real-time or quantitative polymerase chain reaction (qPCR) is an important scientific advancement that greatly extends the usefulness of PCR technology. After its introduction in the mid-1980s, PCR quickly became an indispensable tool for many scientists and clinicians who needed a method to amplify and characterize genetic material from small biological samples. However, the standard PCR technique has one major limitation: its output is mostly qualitative rather than quantitative. qPCR overcomes this limitation through the use of fluorescence labeling, which in conjunction with specialized amplification and detection systems, allows users to monitor the progress of the amplification reaction as it occurs. qPCR has a host of potential applications, some of which include comparing gene expression levels in normal and diseased tissues, determining viral and bacterial loads, and genotyping. From basic researchers wanting to elucidate cellular processes to infield detection of infectious agents, the potential market for qPCR technology continues to expand. The Market for Real-Time PCR Reagents & Instrumentation gives an in-depth look at the competitive market for qPCR reagents and instrumentation. Based on a detailed 52-question survey of 406 scientists who currently perform qPCR, this report describes their research interests and specific applications. Survey respondents involved in fields such as virology, diagnostics development, molecular and cellular biology and drug discovery revealed their levels of usage, preferred vendors and unmet needs. The report provides a wealth of information about the most attractive target markets, key purchase drivers and projected growth segments. As many suppliers have already capitalized on scientists' requirements for easy-to-use kits containing pre-mixed reagents, the most popular kits and reagents are identified in the report, along with informative user feedback. Fluorescent detection methods, including TaqMan probes, molecular beacons and intercalating dyes, represent another major area of focus along with respondents' opinions about instrumentation. Additionally, to assist life science companies in understanding how qPCR is used in concert with other applications, qPCR users were also queried on their use of methodologies such as microarrays and RNA interference (RNAi) For this powerful and new technique, The Market for Real-Time PCR Reagents & Instrumentation will assist life science companies in their positioning, product development and marketing efforts by providing a comprehensive perspective on current and emerging research trends, and potential tie-ins with other laboratory products. Report Highlights
The Market for Real-Time PCR Reagents & Instrumentation contains over 100 charts and/or tables and over 25 cross-tabulations for the 52 survey questions. After questions 4 and 36, there were skip patterns in the questionnaire to direct the respondents to the questions that best reflect their experience with quantitative PCR, the templates they use and their primary method of detection. Below is a glimpse of the key findings derived from just a few of the survey questions: •"Gene expression-primary validation" (55%) and "gene expression-confirmation of microarray data" (30%) are the top two primary research objectives of qPCR experiments that use an RNA or cDNA template. (Question 5) •Most respondents use a commercially available qRT-PCR kit because they "prefer convenience of a kit" (46%) and "prefer guaranteed optimized system" (45%). (Question 15) •Applied Biosystems is the top supplier of qRT-PCR kits, followed by Roche Applied Science and Qiagen. (Question 17) •48% of the respondents project that the number of qPCR amplifications conducted in their lab will increase over the next year. 43% of these scientists predict an increase of over 40%. (Question 26) •"Specificity" (42%) and "sensitivity" (28%) are the top two reasons that scientists use fluorescent probes or primers to detect real-time amplification products. (Question 38) •The three most influential features in a scientist's decision to purchase one real-time quantitative PCR instrument over another are "price", "sensitivity" and "software." (Question 51) (electronic copy also includes 1 print copy) | 
