Proteomics October 2024 Update: Biosensors market consolidation

SPR and friends and who is acquiring whom

The biosensors technology space has experienced significant consolidation in recent years, with several major players in the life sciences and analytical instrument sectors acquiring key biosensor technology companies. These acquisitions have shaped the competitive landscape, enhancing the capabilities of the acquiring firms in biomolecular interaction analysis, label-free detection, and biophysical characterization.

The most recent announcement was Bruker’s acquisition of Munich-based Dynamic Biosensors in the fall of 2024. Dynamic Biosensors developed the switchSENSE technology, which provides highly sensitive, kinetic, and conformational analysis of biomolecules. This acquisition enhances Bruker’s portfolio of biophysical characterization tools.

Previously, Bruker had acquired Sierra Sensors, a company specializing in label-free biosensor technologies, including surface plasmon resonance (SPR) and other real-time interaction analysis systems.

On the other hand, Waters Corporation had acquired Wyatt Technology, a leader in light scattering and biophysical characterization technologies. Wyatt’s expertise in characterizing macromolecules, particularly in biopharmaceuticals and polymer sciences, expanded Waters’ capabilities in biomolecular interactions and size exclusion chromatography (SEC).

Prior to that acquisition, Waters acquired TA Instruments, a manufacturer of thermal analysis and rheology systems. This acquisition diversified Waters’ portfolio, adding tools for material characterization, which can be complementary in understanding the physical properties of biomolecules.

Danaher is the third big player here, and they acquired the Biomolecular component of GE Life Sciences recently, which includes the Biacore product line. Biacore’s SPR systems are well-regarded in drug discovery and diagnostics for their ability to measure biomolecular interactions in real time.

Another player in the field is Malvern Panalytical, and they’ve acquired Creoptix in 2021-2022, a Swiss company known for its waveguide interferometry-based biosensor systems. Creoptix’s WAVE technology is a label-free biosensor platform that excels in analyzing small molecules and interactions under more physiologically relevant conditions.

Prior to that, Malvern had acquired MicroCal, a company specializing in isothermal titration calorimetry (ITC) and differential scanning calorimetry (DSC). These technologies are critical for studying the thermodynamics of biomolecular interactions and complement Malvern’s capabilities in biophysical analysis.

Consolidation Trends and Implications

The consolidation in the biosensor technology space reflects the increasing importance of biophysical tools in drug discovery, diagnostics, and biotechnology. Major life sciences companies like Bruker, Waters, Danaher, and Malvern have pursued acquisitions to integrate advanced biosensor technologies into their broader portfolios, enabling them to offer more comprehensive solutions for studying biomolecular interactions and characterizing biomolecules in real time.

Other potential big acquirers in these biosensor technologies are companies like Thermo, Roche, Hologic, Qiagen and GE. Time will tell what other developments we observe in the M&A front.

These acquisitions provide the acquiring companies with cutting-edge platforms that are essential for understanding drug-target interactions, antibody-antigen binding, and other critical biomolecular processes. The integration of these technologies into broader platforms enhances drug discovery pipelines, particularly in the context of biologics, personalized medicine, and precision diagnostics.

Remaining Independent Companies in Biosensor Technology

Despite the wave of acquisitions, several companies in the biosensor space remain independent, although they may become future targets for acquisition. Notable independent companies include:

1. Nicoya: Nicoya offers accessible and high-performance surface plasmon resonance (SPR) systems. Its technology is designed to democratize SPR by providing more affordable instruments for academic and smaller-scale industrial research settings.

2. Attana: This Swedish company develops label-free biosensor systems for kinetic analysis of biomolecular interactions. Attana’s technology is used in life sciences research, particularly in drug development and vaccine efficacy studies. They have developed proprietary label-free biosensor instruments for biochemical, crude, sera, and cell-based assays and the Attana Virus Analytics (AVA).

3. FortéBio (part of Sartorius): While Sartorius acquired FortéBio, it remains a separate brand offering biolayer interferometry (BLI) systems. These tools are commonly used in biopharmaceutical research to study protein-protein interactions and antibody characterization. Since the acquisition, the Octet brand at Sartorious now also covers SPR.

4. Sensirion: Known for its microfluidics and biosensor technologies, Sensirion remains an independent player in the biosensor space, with its products being used in healthcare, environmental monitoring, and industrial applications. Its product range includes gas and liquid flow sensors, differential pressure sensors and environmental sensors for the measurement of humidity and temperature, volatile organic compounds (VOC), carbon dioxide (CO2), formaldehyde and particulate matter (PM2.5). Sensirion sensors are commonly used in the medical, industrial and automotive sectors, and in analytical instruments, consumer goods and HVAC products.

5. NanoTemper: the company is prominent in the field of biophysical characterization that specializes in developing innovative technologies for the analysis of biomolecular interactions, specifically focusing on solutions that provide high sensitivity with minimal sample requirements. NanoTemper is best known for its pioneering platform, MicroScale Thermophoresis (MST), as well as other advanced technologies like nanoDSF and Monolith, which enable scientists to study molecular affinities, stability, and interactions at low concentrations and with small sample volumes. Unlike SPR, which relies on immobilizing one of the interacting partners on a sensor chip, NanoTemper MST technology operates in free solution, which can help maintain the native structure and activity of the molecules being studied.

6. Nautilus Bio: the company aims to address the limitations of current proteomics technologies by building a highly scalable platform for protein analysis. The company’s goal is to significantly improve the ability to measure the vast diversity of proteins in biological samples, an area where current technologies, such as mass spectrometry, struggle with sensitivity, throughput, and comprehensiveness. Compared to the other companies above, Nautilus Bio is addressing the broader problem of comprehensive protein quantification and characterization, which could impact similar areas but with a focus on fully characterizing the proteome rather than just studying interactions.

7. SMi Systems: this is an innovative company operating in the life sciences sector, specializing in molecular science with a focus on cutting-edge biosensor and imaging technologies. The company has developed a groundbreaking single-molecule imaging platform that provides unprecedented resolution for observing and quantifying molecular interactions. This technology is designed to achieve super-resolution imaging, powered by AI, which allows for detailed, real-time observation of molecular interactions at a level of precision that was previously unattainable. SMi Systems' platform is highly adaptable for use in multi-omic research, where it can be applied to studying a wide range of biomolecules, including proteins, nucleic acids, and small molecules. This flexibility makes it valuable in various fields, from drug discovery to diagnostics, as it enables researchers to gain deeper insights into molecular dynamics and interactions with minimal sample volumes and at very low concentrations.

In this rapidly moving field, it will be interesting to see what is the next move in the chess game of M&A, and who will position themselves the best to capture a growing market.