Capillary Electrophoresis (CE) utilizes the same principles as gel electrophoresis for the qualitative and quantitative analysis of charged biological species. Using this technology, biological substances such as proteins, carbohydrates, nucleic acids and inorganic compounds are separated based on the electrical properties of the analytes and their mobility through a substrate. Several types of detection methods are employed for CE, including UV-Vis spectrophotometry, laser-induced fluorescence and MS, which is becoming an increasingly popular detection technique for CE.

Microfluidics-based CE technology in particular has become mainstream in recent years and thereby constitutes a significant segment in the CE market. Instead of employing fused silica tubing, microfluidics-based CE systems carry out the electrophoretic separation on a glass chip embedded with micro-channels. In most cases, small amounts of fluids are injected into a separation channel by using a plug injection that allows specific control of the liquid flow. Similar to traditional systems, substances are separated based on their electrophoretic mobility, which is proportional to their charge-to-size ratio.

Microfluidic-based CE offers several advantages over benchtop CE systems including the use of much smaller sample volumes. The separation channels are only a few centimeters in length allowing for significantly faster analysis times. While these systems are not as sensitive as benchtop CE systems, microfluidics-based CE enables high-throughput routine analysis, and has become a vital tool for QC of biological samples for NGS, microarray analysis and PCR workflows.

Genomic and proteomic laboratories largely utilize chip-based CE devices as a routine analytical tool. Hence, the biotechnology industry forms the largest market for these systems followed closely by the pharmaceutical industry, thanks to its applications in drug discovery and research. Academia forms another significant market, as researchers are migrating towards microfluidic chip–based CE systems due to the benefits offered by the need for extremely low sample volumes.

The global market for microfluidic chip-based CE systems was close to $65 million in 2015. The market for such chip-based CE systems is growing fast, with a forecasted growth rate of about 5% over the next five years. This market is primarily driven by an increasing adoption in functions such as methods development and forensics, continuous innovation in terms of features and modularity of the system, and a high number of applications in NGS and MS.

PerkinElmer currently leads the chip-based CE market with its LabChip GX product offerings, of which half enable high-throughput analysis. Agilent Technologies represents 30% of this market with its 2100 Electrophoresis Bioanalyzer system, while Bio-Rad Laboratories ranks third with its microfluidic-based Experion Automated Electrophoresis Station. Furthermore, the rapid innovation in the chip-based CE market coupled with the growing popularity of genetic testing is responsible for many smaller companies entering this market with unique system features that cater to niche applications.

Chip-based Capillary Electrophoresis at a glance:

Leading Vendors:

• PerkinElmer
• Agilent Technologies
• Bio-Rad Laboratories

Largest Markets:

• Biotechnology
• Academia
• Pharmaceuticals

Instrument Cost:

• $20,000–$135,000