Flow Cytometry: Current Trends and Future Outlook

The 2006 Flow Cytometry Report is composed of a market overview and an introduction to the 2006 Flow Cytometry Survey, which contains questions about flow cytometry systems and the related applications that researchers are using. The report also includes a discussion of the survey results, conclusions and recommendations drawn from both the market analysis of flow cytometers and the survey data. The market overview describes the use of flow cytometers in the life science research arena to examine individual cells and their expression of both DNA and protein. Applications to pathology and immunology have driven the use of flow cytometry in various disciplines and expanded its functions to include cell-based assays, pharmacogenomics, and stem cell research.

While instrument costs are high, the flow cytometry market continues to grow and is not expected to plateau for several more years. In 2003, industry analysts valued the flow cytometry market at $650 million, and anticipate a 15% annual rise to reach $1.3 billion by 2008. Market leaders BD Biosciences and Beckman Coulter captured over 80% of this market in 2003, and BD currently holds over 50% market share, due to increasing revenues in benchtop analyzers, cell sorters, and other immunocytometry products. Dako (formerly DakoCytomation), Partec, Cytopeia, and Guava Technologies are also gaining strength in this area.

Preclinical and biomedical labs represent nearly two-thirds of the flow cytometry market, often requiring more access than a current core facility is often able to provide. Clinical diagnostics is an important facet of such labs but face budgetary constraints of healthcare payors and providers who require convincing demonstrations of the impact of such expensive technologies on patient care. A current, urgent need is for quantitation of CD4 markers in HIV-infected patients, particularly in third-world countries, where more affordable instrumentation is critically needed. Advances in the use of charge-coupled devices (CCD) may help drop the price of these instruments by substituting the 100-fold less expensive light-emitting diodes from the CCD for the flow cytometry lasers. These smaller, more robust, less expensive analyzers may serve a much-needed niche in a variety of clinical applications.

Survey Introduction
The 2006 Flow Cytometry Survey is designed to provide life science vendors of flow cytometry systems with a better understanding of how their products are used in the research environment and how their company specifically rates among the survey participants. Data were gathered from questions regarding: how often flow cytometry is used (and for which applications), if the researcher owns, shares, or uses a flow cytometer as part of a core facility, which reagents and equipment are used, the goals of the research, what brands of flow cytometer systems, kits, and reagents are used, how key features and system attributes are rated, which molecule types and cell types are analyzed, which fluorochromes or fluorescent dyes are used, how often flow cytometry is performed (and on how many samples), if sample number is expected to change, how flow cytometry compares with high content analysis (HCA), how many colors are used (and how many gates are typically created per experiment), which specific software types are used and the most important features of the software, how flow cytometry information is obtained, and suggestions for next-generation equipment, software, kits, and reagents.

Survey Methodology
The 2006 Flow Cytometry Survey consisted of 29 questions. Of these, 10 included “other” as an answer choice and 1 was open-ended. Five questions were used for demographic information. The survey was administered on-line from March 27th - April 5th, 2006, and the data gathered, tabulated, and presented here.