A US-based team of researchers has recently developed a microfluidic device for isolating a genomic DNA, which is to be purified later.

This DNA is sourced from individual cells and the device physically catches single cells using a micropillar array. It also captures chromosomal DNA of these single cells post-extraction, which is later immobilised in the micropillar array so as to enable the process of isothermal amplification.

The entire methodology is referred to as on-chip cell capture and DNA extraction. As conventional single-cell whole genome amplification (WGA) is often prone to amplification biases, which may hold a significant influence on the accuracy of the data of single-cell sequencing. This drawback is foreseen to be overcome with the introduction of single cell on-chip WGA, resulting in reduced biases regarding amplification and offering an improved coverage of the genome. The team has used individual cancer cell genomes (human), sourced from the HeLa Cell Line.

WGA has been a crucial procedure that helps in DNA analysis from limited quantities of genomic DNA. The ease provided by various WGA kits available for the entire process has been driving the market over the years. Increasing research activities will remain the key factor pushing the growth of whole genome amplification market over the next decade. Adoption of this process is expected to witness robust growth, predominantly among research institutes, hospitals, diagnostic centres, and forensic labs, as it offers an improved and advanced means of genome amplification and sequencing.

To increase the revenue share, molecular testing companies are focusing more on the development of advanced devices and kits such as WGA kits and complete WGA kits with advanced capabilities. The global whole genome amplification market is estimated at around $4m by the end of 2028, as indicated by a recent report released by Future Market Insights (FMI). The global market for WGA will possibly expand at a compound annual growth rate (CAGR) of 7.7% during the 2018-2028 forecast period.

Single-cell WGA continues to bring in new applications

Introduction of massively parallel single-cell genome sequencing is anticipated to offer a new dimension to the understanding of genetic diversities in complex biological systems.

Single-cell WGA is a method used to examine the sequence information with the optimised next-generation sequencing technologies, only from a single cell. This method is considered to be a powerful tool that helps to understand the ins and outs of genetics by bringing the entire genome structure to a cellular level.

Since this method offers a high-resolution view of the genomic sample, its adoption will continue to be on the rise in diverse biological fields such as microbiology, immunology, neurobiology, cancer research, and tissue mosaicism. Single-cell WGA also plays a crucial role in conveying new applications to the market, eventually pushing the market growth further through to 2028.

New technology assessment in branded WGA products

As a move towards better results and implementation of advanced technology, novel techniques are being introduced in the new WGA products. The TruePrime Single Cell WGA Kit by Expedeon, utilises a unique and reliable method to achieve accurate genome amplification from single cells. TruePrime technology uses a revolutionary novel multiple displacement amplification (MDA) method based on the combination of the recently discovered DNA primase TthPrimPol and the extremely processive and high-fidelity Phi29 DNA polymerase to amplify uniformly total genomic DNA either a single or a few cells.

Similarly, Multiple Annealing and Looping Based Amplification Cycles (MALBAC) technology and PicoPLEX® WGA kit (Rubicon Genomics), with patented technology are the other options that have been unveiled as the latest and advanced technologies which are more efficient and optimised in the results and analysis outcomes.

Companies focusing on better product quality through life science research

Increasing prevalence of infectious diseases and oncology disorders has increased the demand for WGA devices and kits, fueling the growth of companies dealing in WGA kits.

Despite the market having several large players as well as multiple smaller companies, there are limited companies that have a complete focus on being a provider of life science products and reagents. Vendors have different specializations and product offerings, with most of the large companies combining research products and reagents with equipment such as in-vitro diagnostics tools. However, the companies that have a sole focus on this market can have better growth prospects in the coming future. They can ensure better quality of products, customer loyalty and an established distribution network that can cater to product availability worldwide.

The key players of the market include GE Healthcare, Sygnis, Illumina, Merck, Thermo Fisher Scientific, and Active Motif are inclined more towards strategic acquisitions and mergers. They are also looking for distribution and collaboration agreements to help improve their product reach. It will also help them serve end users better, with diagnostic consulting and good laboratory practices. High price point may remain a major challenge for companies.

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