Flow Cytometry: A Breakthrough Technology for Cell Analysis
Flow cytometry is a powerful technology that enables the
analysis of single cells and particles in a fluid stream. This technique
involves the detection and measurement of physical and chemical characteristics
of cells by passing them through a laser-based detection system. It has
revolutionized the field of cellular analysis by providing a high-throughput,
quantitative, and accurate analysis of individual cells in heterogeneous
populations.
Flow cytometry has numerous applications in biomedical
research, clinical diagnosis, and drug discovery. In research, it is used for
cell cycle analysis, immunophenotyping, apoptosis detection, and intracellular
signaling pathway analysis. In clinical diagnosis, it is used for blood cell
counting, cancer diagnosis, and HIV monitoring. In drug discovery, it is used
for high-throughput screening and drug efficacy testing.
One of the key advantages of flow cytometry is its ability
to analyze multiple parameters simultaneously. This means that researchers can
measure multiple cell characteristics in a single experiment, providing more
detailed and accurate data than traditional methods. Flow cytometry also allows
for the analysis of rare cell populations, which are difficult to detect using
other techniques.
Dynamics of Flow Cytometry Market
Drivers in Flow Cytometry
Market
The growth of the global flow cytometry market is driven by
the increasing focus of key players on developing and commercializing
technologically advanced instruments with improved workflows, operability, and
turnaround times. The adoption of advanced flow cytometry products is high in
mature markets, which is expected to show significant demand growth during the
forecast period. For example, Beckman Coulter, a Danaher Corporation company,
has launched CellMek SPS, a fully automated sample preparation system for
clinical flow cytometry, which offers vital information regarding a patient's
response to COVID-19 antigens, aiding in effective treatment decisions.
Additionally, the rising prevalence of infectious diseases, such as AIDS and
tuberculosis, globally, is driving the adoption of flow cytometry techniques,
which can offer a promising option for immunophenotyping, and pathogenic
microbes can be easily detected from environmental samples using this
technique.
Low- and lower-middle-income countries with a substantial
infectious disease burden are expected to increase demand for highly efficient
testing options, such as flow cytometry. Moreover, increasing investments in
major biotechnology and biopharmaceutical companies are significantly boosting
the industry's growth. For example, GlaxoSmithKline invested around 300 million
in Vir Biotechnology, a clinical-stage immunology company, to support its
antibody drug development program for COVID-19. The investment by GSK in Vir
Biotechnology represents a significant commitment to advance the development of
new treatments for infectious diseases, particularly in the midst of the
COVID-19 pandemic.
Opportunities in Flow
Cytometry Market
Public-private funding initiatives are providing significant
opportunities for stem cell research. The increasing adoption of flow cytometry
in stem cell research, coupled with favourable regulations in emerging
countries, has driven global stem cell research activities. Many stem cell
product pipelines and the use of stem cells in the treatment of various
diseases also support the growth of the industry. The California Institute for
Regenerative Medicine (US) has granted USD 31 million to three researchers from
Stanford University (US) to conduct first-in-human trials of stem cells to
treat stroke, heart failure, and a type of brain and spinal cord tumor.
Additionally, the demand for point-of-care (PoC) diagnostics for HIV and other
sexually transmitted diseases is driving market demand. The use of flow
cytometry in PoC healthcare facilities is supported by government initiatives
and the availability of advanced instruments capable of multiplexing
applications. Healthcare establishments are also focusing on providing
effective and rapid diagnostic results by switching to point-of-care tests,
which is expected to drive market growth.
Limitation in Flow
Cytometry Market
High Costs of
Products
The procurement and maintenance of multiple flow cytometry
instruments for carrying out various research studies simultaneously pose a
significant increase in capital cost for end users, including clinical
laboratories, large research facilities, and pharmaceutical companies. This is
due to maintenance costs and other indirect expenses that add up to the total
cost of ownership of these instruments. Consequently, high product installation
costs and related expenditures act as a barrier to the adoption of flow
cytometry instruments, particularly in developing nations. Furthermore, the
advanced features and functionalities equipped in flow cytometry instruments
make them high-priced. However, the cost of flow cytometer instruments varies
from USD 100,000 to USD 500,000 per unit on average, which is expensive.
Additionally, biotechnology companies such as Pfizer Inc. are investing in R&D
infrastructure in biopharmaceutical, clinical, and life sciences research, with
PBGI investing USD 120 million in biotechnology innovation. These investments
and funding opportunities are expected to foster R&D for cell analysis
using flow cytometry techniques, particularly in new drug discovery and
development activities. Meanwhile, technological advancements in the latest
flow cytometry instrumentation have improved accuracy, efficiency, and
cost-effectiveness, creating new growth opportunities for the industry.
The integration of digital and imaging technologies into
traditional flow cytometry procedures has revolutionized the field of flow
cytometry. As a result, novel product offerings are being launched, such as
Thermo Fisher Scientific, Inc.'s Invitrogen Attune CytPix Flow Cytometer, which
combines acoustic focusing technology with an imaging camera. This innovation
allows for the collection of high-resolution images and flow cytometry data at
the same time, providing added value to the technique and benefiting industry
growth.
Ecosystem of Flow Cytometry Market
The global Flow Cytometry market is segmented based on end
users into academic and research institutes, hospitals and clinical testing
laboratories, and pharmaceutical and biotechnology companies. The academic and
research institutes segment held the largest market share due to the growing
focus of academic institutions on developing assays for innovative applications
and the increasing investments by pharmaceutical companies in academic research.
In terms of disease type, the market is segmented into
idiopathic and neurogenic overactive bladder syndromes. The idiopathic
overactive bladder syndrome segment accounted for a larger market share due to
the higher prevalence of this type of disorder. Moreover, the increased use of
Sacral Neuromodulation (SNM) therapy for patients with idiopathic overactive
bladder is expected to contribute to the growth of this segment.
During the forecast period, the instrument segment of the
flow cytometry market was dominant, holding a share of 31%. This was due to the
higher penetration of instruments in the market, coupled with technological
advancements. Sony Biotechnology, Inc. launched its CGX10, a closed-cell
isolation system, for use in GMP-compliant cell sorting applications, which was
expected to open up new growth opportunities for the company. Technological
advancements have led to cost-effectiveness, enhanced accuracy, and portability
of instruments, which are expected to create future growth opportunities for
the industry.
In the coming years, small-sized high-throughput cytometers
are likely to gain acceptance due to their allied advantages such as
user-friendliness and cost-effectiveness. The software segment is also expected
to witness significant growth with a CAGR of 7.6% during the forecast years. In
flow cytometry, software is used to control and acquire data generated by
cytometers, analyze the information, and provide statistical analysis of the
outcomes. The software is used for cell acquisition and data analysis in
research purposes, while in clinical diagnosis, it is used for disease
diagnosis by analyzing patients' samples.
These wide applications are projected to boost the industry
in the near future. Additionally, new product developments by key companies are
significant factors driving the growth of this segment. In 2022, BD launched a
software solution specifically designed for flow cytometry workflow, enabling
higher-quality experiments with faster time to insight for scientists working in
various disciplines such as oncology, virology, immunology, and infectious
disease monitoring.
During the forecast period, cell-based flow cytometry held
the largest revenue share of over 73%, and accounted for more than 69.6% of the
overall revenue. The dominance of cell-based assays can be attributed to the
increasing awareness about their benefits and rising demand for early
diagnosis. Additionally, the technological advancements in cell-based assays,
such as software, instruments, algorithms, affinity reagents, and labels, are
expected to contribute to their adoption in the coming years. Meanwhile, the
bead-based assay segment is expected to grow at a significant CAGR during the
forecast period.
Bead-based flow cytometry is a technique used to measure
various intracellular soluble proteins, including growth factors, cytokines,
chemokines, and phosphorylated cell signaling proteins. The high-throughput
flow cytometry technique is considered an optimal tool for conducting multiplex
bead-based assays, which have high growth potential in the field of research,
diagnosis, and treatment of infectious diseases. The need for these assays is
expected to show lucrative growth in the coming years due to advancements in
monoclonal antibody production and molecular engineering, which have led to
advantages such as cost-efficiency, short turnaround time, and micro-sampling
capabilities.
The clinical segment dominated the flow cytometry market,
accounting for a significant share of 42.6% in 2022. The growth in this segment
can be attributed to the increasing R&D activities related to cancer and
infectious diseases, including COVID-19, and rising investments in the
biotechnology and pharmaceutical industry. The launch of novel flow cytometry
solutions for clinical applications and continuous growth strategies by key
players are also expected to support the growth of this segment. For instance,
Beckman Coulter launched CellMek SPS in 2022, which is a solution for manual
sample preparation and data management bottlenecks in clinical flow cytometry.
The industrial segment is expected to be the fastest-growing
segment, with a CAGR of 9.8%, due to the increasing use of flow cytometry in
cell culture. This technique is widely used in the pharmaceutical industry for
various applications, including drug development, target identification, and
compound screening, as well as clinical research and safety evaluation. Flow
cytometry offers high throughput and rapidity for large-scale drug development
and testing, detecting multiple parameters on the cell surface and generating
complex and sufficient data by excluding false positives in single-parameter
tests. These advantages of using flow cytometry in large-scale bioprocessing
operations for drug development are expected to drive market growth over the
forecast period.
The commercial organizations segment held a major share of
the flow cytometry market during the forecast period, owing to heavy
investments in R&D activities, advancements in cell- and bead-based
technologies, growing patient population, and increasing demand for flow
cytometry in the drug discovery process. This segment is expected to exhibit a
prominent growth rate of 9.0%, owing to the increasing novel clinical
applications and immunoassay processes, as well as diversified applications of
flow cytometry in disease diagnosis.
Regional Insights
The global flow cytometry market is segmented geographically
into North America, Europe, Asia Pacific, Latin America, the Middle East, and
Africa. North America holds the largest share of the market, followed by
Europe. Although the North American market is mature with high adoption rates
of flow cytometry technologies among key end-users, it is still expected to
offer significant growth opportunities due to the expanding application areas
of flow cytometry in clinical settings. The growth of the market in the region
is driven by factors such as the presence of a favourable business environment,
growing government support through funds and grants, the high prevalence of
HIV/AIDS and cancer, and the focus on developing treatment options for target
diseases such as cancer and immunological disorders, and the strong presence of
key players.
Asia Pacific is expected to witness a substantial Compound
Annual Growth Rate (CAGR) of 8.5% during the forecast period, due to the
growing pharmaceutical and biotechnology industries in emerging economies such
as China and India. The increasing use of cytometry devices in various
applications and the growing incidence of chronic diseases also contribute to
the growth of the market in the region. Ongoing innovations in the fields of
cancer and infectious illnesses, including COVID-19, are also expected to fuel
the growth of the regional market. Furthermore, extensive research activities
by regional players to improve or develop innovative flow cytometry solutions
are expected to support market growth in the region over the projected period.
Dominating Companies in Flow Cytometry Market
- BD
- DANAHER CORPORATION
- THERMO FISHER SCIENTIFIC, INC.
- AGILENT TECHNOLOGIES, INC
- SONY BIOTECHNOLOGY INC. (A SUBSIDIARY OF SONY GROUP
CORPORATION)
- BIO-RAD LABORATORIES INC.
- MILTENYI BIOTEC
- ENZO BIOCHEM, INC.
- SYSMEX CORPORATION
- LUMINEX CORPORATION (A DIASORIN COMPANY)
- BIOMÉRIEUX SA
- CYTONOME/ST, LLC.
- SARTORIUS AG
- CYTEK BIOSCIENCES
- UNION BIOMETRICA, INC.
- APOGEE FLOW SYSTEMS LTD.
- STRATEDIGM, INC.
- NANOCELLECT BIOMEDICAL, INC.
- ON-CHIP BIOTECHNOLOGIES CO., LTD.
- NEXCELOM BIOSCIENCE LLC.
- BENNUBIO INC.
- ORFLO TECHNOLOGIES
- BAY BIOSCIENCE CO., LTD.
- CYTOBUOY B.V.
- BIOLEGEND, INC
Recent Developments in Flow Cytometry Market
- In 2021, Beckman Coulter Life Sciences acquired a flow
cytometry reagent company, Propel Labs, to expand its product portfolio and
strengthen its position in the flow cytometry market. The acquisition is
expected to help the company enhance its capabilities in the areas of cell
biology research and clinical diagnostics.
- In the same year, Thermo Fisher Scientific acquired a flow
cytometry software company, Cytobank, to enhance its capabilities in data
analysis and workflow management. The acquisition is expected to help Thermo
Fisher Scientific better serve its customers in the areas of drug discovery and
development, cancer research, and immunology.
- In 2020, BD, a leading player in the flow cytometry market,
announced a strategic partnership with the cell sorting company, Propel Labs.
The partnership aimed to develop and market high-quality flow cytometry
reagents and protocols for cell sorting applications.
- Also in 2020, Sony Biotechnology, Inc. announced a
partnership with the Swiss company, Miltenyi Biotec, to develop new products
and technologies for flow cytometry applications. The partnership aimed to
leverage Sony's expertise in flow cytometry instrumentation with Miltenyi's
expertise in cell biology research and cell separation technologies.
- In 2019, BD acquired the flow cytometry instrumentation
company, Accuri Cytometers, to expand its product portfolio and strengthen its
position in the market. The acquisition is expected to help BD better serve its
customers in the areas of cancer research, immunology, and drug discovery and
development.
- In October 2021, Thermo Fisher Scientific announced the
acquisition of Partek Incorporated, a provider of software solutions for
genomic data analysis. The acquisition is expected to enhance Thermo Fisher's
bioinformatics capabilities, including those related to flow cytometry data
analysis.
- In June 2020, Beckman Coulter announced a strategic
partnership with the University of California, Irvine (UCI) to establish the
Advanced Biomedical Technology Research Resource Center (ABTRC). The center is
focused on developing and validating new technologies for biomedical research,
including flow cytometry.
- In March 2020, Sartorius AG announced the acquisition of
selected life science businesses from Danaher Corporation, including the flow
cytometry platform of Beckman Coulter Life Sciences. The acquisition is
expected to strengthen Sartorius' position in the biopharmaceutical market.
- In July 2019, Becton, Dickinson and Company (BD) announced a
partnership with the University of Oxford to advance the use of single-cell
genomics in cancer research. The partnership is focused on developing new
technologies, including flow cytometry-based tools, for the analysis of cancer
cells at the single-cell level.
In conclusion, flow cytometry is a powerful technology that
has revolutionized the field of cellular analysis. It has numerous applications
in research, clinical diagnosis, and drug discovery, and its ability to analyze
multiple parameters simultaneously provides more detailed and accurate data
than traditional methods. With the growing demand for personalized medicine and
the rising prevalence of chronic diseases, the flow cytometry market is
expected to grow significantly in the coming years.
1.
Research Sources
We at Zettabyte Analytics have a
detailed and related research methodology focussed on estimating the market
size and forecasted value for the given market. Comprehensive research
objectives and scope were obtained through secondary research of the parent and
peer markets. The next step was to validate our research by various market
models and primary research. Both top-down and bottom-up approaches were
employed to estimate the market. In addition to all the research reports, data
triangulation is one of the procedures used to evaluate the market size of
segments and sub-segments.
Research Methodology
1.1. Secondary Research
The secondary research study involves various sources and databases used
to analyze and collect information for the market-oriented survey of a specific
market. We use multiple databases for our exhaustive secondary research, such
as Factiva, Dun & Bradstreet, Bloomberg, Research article, Annual reports,
Press Release, and SEC filings of significant companies. Apart from this, a
dedicated set of teams continuously extracts data of key industry players and
makes an extensive and unique segmentation related to the latest market
development.
1.2. Primary Research
The primary research includes gathering data from specific domain
experts through a detailed questionnaire, emails, telephonic interviews, and
web-based surveys. The primary interviewees for this study include an expert
from the demand and supply side, such as CEOs, VPs, directors, sales heads, and
marketing managers of tire 1,2, and 3 companies across the globe.
1.3. Data Triangulation
The data triangulation is very important for any market study, thus we
at Zettabyte Analytics focus on at least three sources to ensure a high level
of accuracy. The data is triangulated by studying various factors and trends
from both supply and demand side. All the reports published and stored in our
repository follows a detailed process to obtain a reliable insight for our
clients.
1.4. In-House Verification
To validate the segmentation
and verify the data collected, our market expert ensures whether our research
analyst is considering fine distinction before analyzing the market.
1.5. Reporting
In the end,
presenting our research reports complied in a different format for straightforward
valuation such as ppt, pdf, and excel data pack is done.