Bioinformatics: Analysis Of Market And Developments
Bioinformatics has played a vital role in the advancement of biomolecular sciences, traditionally focusing upon molecular evolution and structural biology. It has allowed accurate statistical analysis of DNA or amino acid sequences, resulting in effective translation between such sequences, to the benefit of genetics, evolution and biochemistry. Bioinformatics sequence analysis, or bioinformatics genomics, has accelerated genome-sequencing efforts, enabling educated deductions of a newly sequenced gene’s product through sequence alignment. Read more about Bioinformatics Market Potential
Definition of Bioinformatics
Bioinformatics has proved itself as a powerful tool primarily in the effective generation of predictive proteomic data from analysis of DNA sequences. At present proteomic studies encompass myriad applications and techniques, including profiling expression patterns in response to various stimuli and conditions, time correlation analysis of protein expression, identification of tissue specific or disease specific proteins and perhaps in the future, personal genome and proteome maps. Such bioinformatic proteome maps may ultimately prove much more informative than the genomic versions, particularly in relation to diseases to which an individual has shown genetic susceptibility.
The key problem remains that the market for bioinformatics is that it is not large enough to support a company built around one or two high-cost software programs targeted to a relatively small user group. The business strategy of bioinformatics is to effectively reach different and/or all parts of the potential market. Strategies are focused either at the high margin big Pharma market (which is limited in opportunities) or are designed to embrace reduced or variable margin in the peripheral market consisting of biological scientists.
Bioinformatic Market Base
The bioinformatics market in its infancy, currently. Expansion of the market base is the key to fatter incomes. To develop the potential market there is the clearer choice for the Bioinformatics vendors of strategies focused at large Pharma (with a high cost of production and restricted market) and strategies focused to embrace all life scientists (with a lower cost but expanded market). However, this market choice is not just about the cost of the product and the direct sale market, but also about the value proposition. As big Pharma looks to the biotech and start-up markets for innovation so bioinformatics has to re-position itself, moving to embrace smaller organizations.
Bioinformatics Genomics: An Area Of Potential
The fastest growing opportunities in this market are in the development of tools to analyze databases. Currently, software vendors are focused on developing two types of software tools: data mining software to retrieve data from genomic sequence databases; and visualization tools for information retrieval and analysis from expression and proteomic databases.
Consulting companies specializing in the automation of complex tasks and the integration of data are using proprietary software customized to end users’ needs. Demand for these services from the top biotech/pharma companies continues to open new opportunities for specialty consulting companies in bioinformatics.
The evolution of the hardware market for bioinformatic applications has seen significant advances too. In order to build the servers, networks, and storage devices available to the bioinformatics industry, computer companies, such as IBM and Compaq, have invested a considerable amount of time and money.
Importance of Bioinformatics
The importance of bioinformatics is gaining rapid acceptance and bioinformatics groups comprising of computational biologists, computer scientists as well as computer engineers are being constituted at universities, pharmaceuticals and biotechnology companies.
A wide definition of bioinformatics and its role in bioinformatics genomics may make its future role clearer. Bioinformatics provides the integrated approach of mining the voluminous data generated by the HGP (Human Genome Project) to identify and understand human diseases and to develop corresponding drug and gene based therapies. Bioinformatics will increasingly replace conventional methodologies in the area of drug discovery and drug delivery.
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