Market Profile: Microvolume Spectroscopy

Microvolume spectroscopy is a very new segment of the molecular spectroscopy market, but it already accounts for about 10% of the combined UV-vis and fluorescence spectroscopy markets. The market consists of both instruments and specialized aftermarket cuvettes and offers a greatly improved tool for bioanalysis application.

Microvolume spectroscopy demand by industry.

Microvolume spectrophotometers, which include both UV-vis and fluorescence spectrofluorometers, can analyze sample sizes of under 5 μL, and in many cases can analyze samples as small as 0.5 μL. While some new systems are designed specifically to be able to analyze such small samples, many other new systems have been designed to analyze both microvolume and conventional volume cuvettes, generally by using specialized fittings. There is also a plethora of new microcuvettes on the market that work with conventional spectrophotometers.

Microvolume spectroscopy has been developed with bioanalysis in mind. Some of the most common applications include quantitation of DNA, RNA, and protein in biotechnology and academic laboratories. Such instruments also are becoming popular in clinical laboratories, where sample conservation is very important, such as in tissue matching for organ transplants.

The market for microvolume spectroscopy is estimated to have been close to $90 million in 2008, and will easily break the $100 million mark in 2009, despite the deep global recession. The fact that a significant amount of demand is from academia, which is seeing relatively consistent growth, and that these instruments are relatively inexpensive, are major factors in maintaining strong double-digit annual growth.

The foregoing data were based on SDi's market analysis and perspectives report entitled Global Assessment Report, 10th Edition: The Laboratory Life Science and Analytical Instrument Industry, September 2008. For more information, contact Stuart Press, Vice President – Strategic Analysis, Strategic Directions International, Inc., 6242 Westchester Parkway, Suite 100, Los Angeles, CA 90045, (310) 641-4982, fax: (310) 641-8851, www.strategic-directions.com.