Ligase enzyme has a critical role in the molecular diagnostics approach, as it ensures the safe and effective application of targeted therapeutics. Most of the players in the global ligase market offer products encompassing the ligation kits and enzymes.

The global  ligase market  is projected to reach $651.4 million by 2032 from $371.2 million in 2021, at a CAGR of 5.29% during the forecast period 2022-2032. The growth in the global ligase market is expected to be driven by factors such as the increasing prevalence of infectious and genetic diseases on a global level, rising awareness of enzyme based diagnostic testing and significant number of funding for executing research and development.

Impact of COVID-19

The current global ligase market comprises kits and enzymes. The unexpected crisis of the pandemic has surged the demand for essentials, and thus, increased the demand for ligase enzymes. There was increased demand for ligase enzymes from biotechnology and pharmaceutical companies. Overall, the impact of COVID-19 on the global ligase market size has been low-moderate. Some of the market players have reported a slight decline in sales. However, there are some new entrants in the global ligase market that are expected to witness a growth in the market. There is also a decline in revenues mostly as a result of the initial phases of the COVID-19 pandemic, which included complete lockdowns across countries and major cities, thus interrupting the supply chain. Several other products are under development for years that may take longer than the 2-4 years for commercialization. The pandemic has played a key role in enhancing the growth prospects of ligase-based molecular diagnostics and is expected to indirectly aid in improving the market growth outlook.

Market segmentation:

Segmentation 1: by Product
• Quick Ligase
• T4 DNA Ligase
• E. coli DNA Ligase
• Tth DNA Ligase 
• T4 RNA Ligase 
• Pfu DNA Ligase  
• Others

The global ligase market in the products segment is expected to be dominated by T4 DNA ligase. This is due to an increased usage of T4 DNA ligase, and it is the most commonly used ligase type among suppliers offering kits and enzymes to their end users.

Segmentation 2: by source
• Archaebacterium
• Escherichia coli
• Thermus thermophilus 
• Pyrococcus furiosus 
• Others

The global ligase market is dominated by the Escherichia coli source as it is a commonly used ligase to join recombinant ends of molecules before they are introduced into the cell. Products like T4 RNA ligase, T4 DNA ligase, E. coli DNA ligase, and salt T4 DNA ligase are obtained from Escherichia coli in abundance.

Segmentation 3: by Application
• Ligase Chain Reaction (LCR)
• Ligase Detection Reaction (LDR) 
• Next-Generation Sequencing (NGS)
• Repeat Expansion Detection (RED) 
• Rolling Circle Amplification (RCA) 
• Proximity Ligation Assay (PLA)
• Molecular Cloning 
• Ligation Mediated PCR 
• Mutation Detection 
• Others

The molecular cloning process dominates the application segment and NGS is the emerging diagnostic application in the global ligase market. The increase in the utilization of this procedure is due to various cloning techniques that have been created that fall under molecular cloning to improve the ease and speed at which DNA fragments can be recombined.

Segmentation 4: by End User
• Research Laboratories and Institutions 
• Pharmaceutical and Biopharmaceutical Companies 
• Diagnostic Laboratories
• Others

The research laboratories and institutions dominate the end-user segment in the global ligase market as research laboratories, particularly are most involved in carrying out the research studies that are focused on the identification of understanding the diagnostic application of ligase enzymes.

Recent Developments in Global Ligase Market

• In January 2022, ArcticZymes Technologies launched new products such as ArcticZymes R2DTM Ligase, IsoPol BST+ High Concentration Glycerol FREE and M-SAN HQ ELISA Kit and M-SAN HQ
• In April 2022, Codexis, Inc. and Molecular Assemblies, Inc., partnered to engineer enzymes and deliver differentiated and cost-effective solutions for the enzymatic synthesis of DNA.
• In May 2022, QIAGEN acquired majority stake of 96% in BLIRT eu., a manufacturer of recombinant enzymes for the life science industry based in Gdansk, Poland. The acquisition was carried out to bring companies capabilities to create additional growth prospects to their enzymes and reagents business.
• In July 2021, Merck invested $282.5 million at its global headquarters in Darmstadt. Company is involved in building a new translational science center for its healthcare business sector as well as a new learning center.

Key Market Players and Competition Synopsis

The companies that are profiled have been selected based on inputs gathered from primary experts and analyzing company coverage, product portfolio, and market penetration.

Some of the prominent names established in this market are:

• Agilent Technologies, Inc.
• ArcticZymes Technologies ASA
• BD
• Bio-Rad Laboratories, Inc.
• Codexis, Inc.
• F. Hoffmann-La Roche Ltd.
• Merck KGaA
• New England Biolabs (UK) Ltd.
• Promega Corporation
• QIAGEN NV
• SBS Genetech
• Takara Bio Inc.
• Thermo Fisher Scientific, Inc.

Key Questions Answered in the Report

• How is ligase enzyme revolutionizing the field of enzyme-based diagnostics?
• What are the major market drivers, challenges, and opportunities in the global ligase market?
• What are the underlying structures resulting in the emerging trends within the global ligase market?
• How did the COVID-19 pandemic impact the global ligase market?
• What are the key development strategies that are being implemented by the major players in order to sustain themselves in the competitive market?
• What are the key regulatory implications in developed and developing regions pertaining to the use of ligase enzymes?
• What are the potential entry barriers that are expected to be faced by the companies willing to enter a particular region?
• How is each segment of the market expected to grow during the forecast period 2022-2032, and what is the anticipated revenue to be generated by each of the segments?
• What are the growth opportunities for ligase enzyme-providing companies in the region of their operation?
• Who are the leading players with significant offerings in the global ligase market?
• Which companies are anticipated to be highly disruptive in the future, and why?

 The report scope exclusively covers companies that are actively involved in the production of ligase-based products (enzymes) globally. The study considers enzymes and kits based on various underlying applications in chronic diseases to detect biomarkers. 

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