Gene expression profiling methods enable the quantification of multiple transcripts from a single RNA sample. Powerful and continually evolving methods, such as microarray analysis, multiplex PCR and quantitative real-time RT-PCR, as well as novel methods for transcriptome analyses using tiling arrays and short read sequencing are employed by scientists to analyze gene function, identify new therapeutic and diagnostic targets, and to map pathways involved in development and disease.

Percepta’s 2010 Gene Expression Profiling Dashboard™ is the third in a series that characterizes the dynamic market for products for profiling gene expression. This 2010 Dashboard provides a snapshot of the current market landscape that can be compared with data from the 2008 and 2007 Gene Expression Profiling Dashboards, providing an ongoing story of how the market is adapting to new products, new competitors and new sales and marketing strategies.

The 2010 Gene Expression Profiling Dashboard™ was developed from responses to a 22-question survey completed by 485 scientists predominantly located in North America and Europe.  301 of these respondents perform gene expression profiling methods on a regular basis.

This Dashboard reveals key market indicators for the gene expression profiling market as a whole as well as for the following methods representing market sub-segments:

• Differential gene expression studies using multiplex PCR
• Digital gene expression/molecular barcodes
• Microarray-based gene expression studies
• qRT-PCR (cDNA template) using gene specific fluorescent probe
• qRT-PCR (cDNA template) using non-specific SYBR Green
• Northern blot analysis
• Serial Analysis of Gene Expression (SAGE) studies
• Transcriptome studies using tiling arrays
• Transcriptome studies via short-read sequencing

Survey Methodology
In January of 2010, Percepta fielded the Gene Expression Profiling Survey to a subset of the company’s panel of more than 40,000 life scientists. Individuals were invited by e-mail blast to click through to a webpage at bioanalytix.com where the survey was hosted.  Invitations were delivered on January 10, 2010 and results collected through January 20, 2010.  A total of 485 scientists completed the survey, of which 301 are actively engaged in performing gene expression profiling experiments.  Results based on the aggregate of collected responses are revealed in this Gene Expression Profiling Dashboard  

Respondent Demographics
Respondents from the academic, government and commercial market segments are well represented, with approximately 22% of respondents employed in an industry setting.  About 70% of respondents are from North America, while nearly 30% reside in Europe. 

Junior (Lab Tech, Grad Students), mid level (Post-Doc, Lab Manager) and senior (Professor/PI, Group Leader) scientists are well represented in the data set, with the most cited job titles being Scientist/Senior Scientist (25.5% of respondents), Professor/Principal Investigator (16.5%) and Post-Doctoral Fellow (13.0%).

A wide variety of scientific areas of specialization is also evident, led by molecular biology (named by 34.8% of respondents as their primary area of expertise), cell biology (9.9%) and biochemistry (7.6%). Immunology (6.5%), microbiology/infectious disease/virology (6.3%), and genomics  (6.0%) are the only other areas of expertise named by more than 5% of respondents.

Small (1 to 5 scientists), mid-size (6 to 10 scientists) and large laboratories (>10 scientists) are well represented in the respondent data set.  A total of 37.2% of survey participants work in labs where one to five people perform experiments.  30.9% are employed in labs with six to ten scientists, while the remaining 32.0% of respondents work in labs where greater than 10 individuals work at the bench.