How Are Technological Developments Improving Oligonucleotides?

 A surge in research activities in synthetic biology and improvement in oligonucleotide synthesis have led to the development of advanced oligonucleotides. Recent innovations in synthesis techniques have led to the swift and cost-effective synthesis of oligomers. Moreover, the developments of novel sets of protecting amino groups, better coupling reagents, and high-throughput synthesizers have transformed the synthesis of oligonucleotides. These advancements will propel the oligonucleotide synthesis market at 10.8% CAGR during 2018–2023. At this rate, the market is expected to reach $2.8 billion by 2023 from $1.5 billion in 2017.

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In the same vein, the evolution of microarray technology has assisted the development of oligonucleotide products for therapeutic and diagnostic processes. For example, research of numerous oligonucleotides with biological ligands has led to its increased application in the diagnosis of several inherited disorders. Similarly, constant improvement in microchip-based oligonucleotide synthesis has led to the surge in throughput and decrease in cost of synthesis of oligonucleotides. Additionally, developments in technologies, such as enzymatic error correction, have led to the reduction in frequency of errors in synthesized products.

Apart from this, academic research institutes, food and beverage companies, diagnostic laboratories, forensic laboratories, and pharmaceutical and biotechnology companies use oligonucleotides for various applications. Among these end users, the diagnostic laboratories use the highest volume of oligonucleotides for diagnostic purposes, on account of their increasing applications in molecular diagnosis of inherited disorders. Besides, the academic research institutes also use these products in large quantities as probes in antisense analyses, microarray, and in-situ hybridization.

Due to widening application base, market players are focusing on improving and expanding their product portfolios. For instances, Thermo Fisher Scientific Inc., in October 2017, launched Applied Biosystems Axiom Africa Array for commercial purposes. The product was introduced for medical and population genomics to support and accelerate global health research. Thermo Fisher Scientific Inc. and The Wellcome Trust Sanger Institute combined their respective expertise in informatics and human genomic analysis to co-develop Applied Biosystems Axiom Africa Array that assists in capturing genome variation in the European, African, and Asian populace.

Thus, the continuous advancements in technologies coupled with high prevalence of life-threatening diseases that demand early diagnosis and treatment will fuel the adoption of oligonucleotides in the coming years.