Introduction
The ability to transfect DNA into mammalian cells and cell lines is a critical step in the analysis of gene expression, protein structure and function and molecular interactions within the cell. The Transfection Dashboard Series Two was developed from responses to a 24-question survey completed by over 427 scientists predominantly located in North America and Europe. This Dashboard reveals key market indicators for the transfection market as a whole as well as for the following sub-segments:

• Chemically-mediated transfection (i.e. calcium phosphate)
• Lipid-mediated transfection
• Instrument-mediated transfection (i.e. electroporator, Nucleofector®)
• Virus-mediated transfection (Note: for the purposes of this report, virus-mediated transfection refers to the delivery of nucleic acid material into mammalian cells or cell lines using virus and/or viral-based gene delivery systems).

The genomics revolution has set the table for the study of gene expression & regulation as well as protein structure and function. The technique of transfection is a necessary precursor to many of the methods we rely on to build upon the knowledge gained by genome sequencing projects, including:

• Gene silencing studies
• in vivo analysis of protein expression
• Reporter gene assays

In order to dive more deeply into the characteristics and dynamics of the market for transfection products, Percepta has launched the Series 2 Transfection Dashboard 2009, designed to take a snapshot of the current market landscape.

Survey Methodology
In August of 2009, Percepta fielded the Mammalian Transfection Survey to a subset of the Percepta BioAnalytix™ Panel of life scientists. Individuals were invited by e-mail blast to click through to a webpage at bioanalytix.com where the survey was hosted.

Invitations were delivered on August 1, 2009 and results collected through August 10. A total of 427 scientists completed the survey, of which 375 are actively engaged in the transfection of mammalian cells or cell lines.

Results based on the aggregate of collected responses are revealed in this Transfection Dashboard.

Respondent Demographics
Respondents from the academic, government and commercial market segments are well represented. 66.3% of respondents work at universities/colleges/medical schools; 9.0% are employed at hospitals/medical centers; 10.1% of respondents work for biotechnology companies; 4.1% are employed by pharmaceutical companies. Overall, 15.0% of respondents work in industrial laboratories.

About 85% of respondents are from North America, with most of the remaining 15% residing in Europe.

Junior (Lab Tech, Grad Students), mid level (Post-Doc, Lab Manager) and senior-level (Professor/PI, Group Leader) scientists are well represented in the data set, with the most cited job titles being Professor/Principal Investigator (19.3%), Scientist/Senior Scientist (17.5% of respondents) and Post-Doctoral Fellow (15.8%).

A wide variety of scientific areas of specialization is also evident, led by molecular biology (indicated by 30.3% of respondents as their primary area of expertise), cell biology (16.2%) and biochemistry (9.3%).

Small (1-5 scientists), medium (6-20 scientists) and large (>20 scientists) laboratories are well represented. A total of 60.7% of survey participants work in labs where between 1 and 5 people perform transfection experiments; 15.2% are employed in labs where 6 to 10 people perform the method. 4.6% of respondents are employed in labs where between 11 and 20 people perform transfection experiments, while the remaining 19.5% of respondents work in labs where greater than twenty people perform the method.