According to a recent survey of scientists, no single approach to the generation of small-interfering RNA (siRNA) duplexes currently dominates the market. However, each of the four methods examined has a unique product feature that is most valued by end- users. The most important attributes of ready-to-use siRNA duplexes, for example, are its specificity and validated levels of repression. For market leaders Ambion, Dharmacon and Qiagen-Xeragon as well as those companies vying for a greater market share, understanding such qualities will be critical when contemplating future product offerings.

These findings were recently published by BioInformatics, LLC in "The Market for RNA Interference Kits & Reagents." Based on the results of a survey of over 800 pharmaceutical and academic scientists who described their current and planned research using RNA interference (RNAi), the report details projected market growth, scientific objectives, preferred products and suppliers, key areas for product development and competitive market dynamics. RNAi is an exciting new method for analyzing the function of genes in a variety of multicellular organisms, including plants and humans. With this method, scientists can specifically inhibit the expression of almost any gene by introducing double-stranded RNA molecules (dsRNAs) into cells. The technology has a range of applications that could lead to major advancements in the fields of developmental biology, drug discovery, gene therapy and agriculture.

Approximately half of the survey respondents listed either functional genomics (35%) or target validation (13%) as the primary objectives of their RNAi experiments. The average RNAi customer performs "small-scale" experiments, as most respondents study one specific gene per experiment and conduct two experiments per month. A small, but significant percentage of the respondents (12%) reported that they routinely conduct studies inhibiting five or more mRNA targets per experiment.Furthermore, over 80% of these scientists indicated that they are planning to increase the number of RNAi experiments they perform.

-- PR Newswire