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Brand Positioning: Instrumentation for Protein Analysis
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Report #07-469
Publication Date: October 2007
Page Count: 149
Individual Report (electronic copy with company-wide
license and one print copy): $4,000
plus Data Set: an additional $1,000
Full Package (all six individual reports): $12,000
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Each member of The Science Advisory Board who participated in this study was invited to comment on the following:
The Scenario: You have just won a lottery jackpot of $2.5 million. Being the dedicated scientist that you are, you decide to continue conducting research rather than retiring to your own private island to live a life of leisure and luxury. The Question: Now that you can afford to buy any life science product you'd like, would your use of instrumentation for protein analysis from [Brand] change? Why or why not?
The responses, which have been edited for grammar and clarity, appear below along with each respondent's job position.
Agilent Technologies - Yes
Excellent quality, reasonable price, good customer support & overall great value for money.
Lab Director/Supervisor/Coordinator
I could buy the expensive instruments I need.
Principal Investigator
I would buy more Agilent products -- these are luxuries, in most cases not essential needs.
Professor/Teacher
I would certainly not constrain myself to a single manufacturer.
Staff Scientist
I would purchase a high end MS for my research.
Principal Investigator
I'd look around for something with more sensitivity and ease of use.
Staff Scientist
I'd probably buy a more modern instrument. The one we have is about 20 years old.
Principal Investigator
Of course it would change. I would invest the money into the company and use the products as much as I wanted!
Staff Scientist
Agilent Technologies - No
I already use and am comfortable with the LC/MS mass spec from Agilent. It performs quite well, is easy to use, handles many samples, and does not break down frequently. Of course, with some of my $2.5 million I might hire a technician to perform some of the job that I do now... I'd have to spend some time on my private island, after all.
Lab Director/Supervisor/Coordinator
I think time, not money, will correct my concerns. I've used the 2100 and the LabChip90, and I think microfluidics are a fantastic addition to research, but the set up time and "bad runs" dissuade me from using it on a full time basis. Also the incorporation of a Western type analysis would be spectacular. I'm sure these issues (perhaps unique to us) will be worked out soon. By the way, we own 1 of each of the above mentioned units. We have faith in Agilent!
Staff Scientist
I would be a bit more insistent that they improve their software interfacing with other vendors.
Staff Scientist
It is reliable so far, unless other brands of instrument offer tremendous advantage over the current one.
Post Doctoral Fellow
It is very reliable.
Principal Investigator
My use of Agilent instrumentation would not change. I use a Bioanalyzer 2100 and have found that only Agilent, Caliper and Bio-Rad offer similar instruments. Agilent is a pioneer in microfluidic protein analysis whose instrument is reliable and affordable. This form of protein analysis in my laboratory has become a standard; we have two instruments in our group. The technology is constantly evolving and is "user friendly." I would most probably purchase more of these instruments if I had the wealth to do so.
Staff Scientist
No matter whether you are rich or poor, Agilent Instruments are affordable for every researcher.
Principal Investigator
No, it would not change! In fact, my usage would probably increase because we would be able to afford to keep up our supply of fresh protein chips!
Lab Director/Supervisor/Coordinator
Our lab is completely populated with Agilent instrumentation. We have a fantastic relationship with Agilent. Our HPLC service tech practically lives on-site. No issue is ever left unresolved for long. Both the Research and Development groups in our company primarily use Agilent.
Lab Director/Supervisor/Coordinator
So far, is the right tool for the job.
Lab Director/Supervisor/Coordinator
The HPLC is critical to all of the protein chemistry I do.
Staff Scientist
You can't find more expensive and higher quality products from other places anyway.
Staff Scientist
Applied Biosystems - Yes
Acquire additional instrumentation.
Principal Investigator
I will get the latest instrumentation from Applied Biosystems.
Post Doctoral Fellow
I will look at more reliable and respected products.
Post Doctoral Fellow
Reliable and inexpensive.
Professor/Teacher
Applied Biosystems - No
Applied Biosystems doesn't offer enough protein analysis products to up the ante on what I would be buying even if I had the money.
Graduate Student/Research Assistant
I am a creature of habit.
Professor/Teacher
I doubt my use of instrumentation would change. Even with unlimited money, I'd still like to get the best value possible.
Staff Scientist
I rely on and trust Applied Biosystems, so don't want to switch to some other one.
Professor/Teacher
I work with items that are value buys, just because it costs more doesn't make it better.
Lab Director/Supervisor/Coordinator
I would buy a few more systems from ABI. They work for me. Of course, I might try a couple of other companies as well, but I'd certainly get a few more from ABI as well.
Principal Investigator
I would buy the private island!
Principal Investigator
I would like save money by using other brands with inexpensive prices.
Lab Director/Supervisor/Coordinator
If I won the lottery, it would be used to benefit my personal life first, and second, while I would continue working in research I don't see how the additional money would be of further benefit. Being part of a government facility we already have the latest and best equipment at our disposal.
Post Doctoral Fellow
In addition to liking their instruments and being satisfied with the instrument performance, I am familiar with their quirks and capabilities. Why start over?
Principal Investigator
It does the job well.
Laboratory Technician
It is reliable and gives reproducible results.
Post Doctoral Fellow
Luckily I am in a situation where we can purchase the best instruments for our experiments, regardless of price, as long as they are most applicable to our purposes. I don't think things would change if I had a bunch more money to put toward the research.
Graduate Student/Research Assistant
No, my use of instrumentation would not change with respect to the choice of equipment and products that we use from Applied Biosystems. These products are specialized for our use and needs and would therefore remain an essential part of our research. However, being that our research budget would subsequently increase upon winning the lottery, I imagine that we would not ration these products as closely as we may now.
Post Doctoral Fellow
Protein analysis is a major tool which provides you with the comprehensive analysis of the protein, which is the single most important step in determining the quality of your protein, and the subsequent experiments depend on it. Therefore, it is important to have the best instrumentation from the best vendor.
Principal Investigator
The hardware is excellent. The software is problematic.
Lab Director/Supervisor/Coordinator
The machines are not quite as cutting edge as other companies and they are a bit less dependable.
Principal Investigator
Bio-Rad Laboratories - Yes
Absolutely! Now I can afford to have gel apparatuses not only in the lab, but on the beach and pool-side as well, where I can run samples while increasing my Vitamin D intake to help me better contemplate on the next greatest experiment. ...Of course, this sets up a vicious cycle of having to run even more experiments while I bronze in the sun, which allows me to devise even more great experiments. So thanks, Bio-Rad, now I have to hire a tech!
Staff Scientist
Bio-Rad produces good quality products, although the prices are much more expensive than other providers. Good research requires good reagents, right?
Principal Investigator
Depending on the popularity. It is a major player with good customer service.
Graduate Student/Research Assistant
Good service.
Principal Investigator
I could afford to purchase the new instruments that I want instead of using the older ones that I have now.
Laboratory Technician
I definitely would like to have the demo for innovative products of other companies to know if they offer the competitive edge.
Post Doctoral Fellow
I will try another instrument.
Principal Investigator
I will try out all similar products from other companies and use the one which gives the best result, regardless of price or brand image.
Post Doctoral Fellow
I would be able to fund my own research and follow avenues that were pretty much off-limits before my windfall. This would mean expanding my capabilities and new instrumentation would be crucial. Much of the equipment in my lab was bought when I started my lab over a decade ago and some of it is in dire need of retirement (unlike me, somewhat surprisingly).
Principal Investigator
I would buy more of their instrumentation. I have had my eyes on several different pieces of equipment that I'd really like to have that Bio-Rad sells, so I'd become a better customer!
Lab Director/Supervisor/Coordinator
I would have the money to try out other systems!
Principal Investigator
I would like something with a remote control.
Principal Investigator
I would pay for a web site upgrade for Bio-Rad. Great company, lousy web site (too sloooooow).
Professor/Teacher
I would probably get a 454 or a Solexa and sequence all my favorite genomes.
Post Doctoral Fellow
I would purchase some more specialized instruments which may or may not be from Bio-Rad Laboratories.
Graduate Student/Research Assistant
I wouldn't use Bio-Rad anymore, because I'd start up my own company with the money and compete with Bio-Rad.
Professor/Teacher
I'd buy one of each!
Principal Investigator
If one considers the highly trained and competent staff "produced" by Bio-Rad Labs, I would use the funds to hire them, the real experts. They would be empowered to use the very best instrumentation to answer our research questions.
Principal Investigator
It would change because I could now afford to purchase more pieces of their equipment and stock replacement parts for items that are prone to breakage through normal use. For a scientist, it's a kind of luxury that isn't that different from life on a private island!
Principal Investigator
More money -- would add instrumentation -- have a wish list generated by students and technicians.
Principal Investigator
Purchase the same equipment with a smaller footprint.
Graduate Student/Research Assistant
Quality products.
Staff Scientist
Reliability.
Staff Scientist
Reliable, I am happy with it.
Professor/Teacher
The reliance on instrumental approach for studying proteins depends quite a bit on the design and the quality of the instrument and on the technical support of the manufacturers. I am not totally satisfied with the quality of the Bio-Rad Laboratories products and the technical support, for that matter. Therefore, if funds are available to do it better, I would be more open minded to other products in the market, setting quality and service as my priority.
Professor/Teacher
Try to find better products.
Principal Investigator
Will go to Invitrogen, as they have a very good alternative.
Post Doctoral Fellow
With increased wherewithal, we would have more scientists and, thus, could do additional experiments and also be more experimental and follow up on scientific hunches vs. staying with the more predictable, tried and true conservative approach.
Principal Investigator
Would be able to now include more powerful, premium MS/HPLC systems.
Staff Scientist
Bio-Rad Laboratories - No
Affordable and does the job -- I'd look to the new and latest high profile technology such as single live cell imaging or fMRI for rodents. How cool is that?
Principal Investigator
Because they offer the best variety of products that suit our research needs.
Principal Investigator
Bio-Rad has a wide variety of instrumentation for protein analysis and everyone in the lab is happy with that. Also the protocols are well established with Bio-Rad instruments.
Principal Investigator
Bio-Rad produces some of the most well-known and reliable instrumentation and has maintained its quality. Their instruments are trustworthy and consistent in their performance.
Principal Investigator
Currently, with the level of use I have, I get what I need from what I have… unless my research focus changed (unlikely with a sum as small as 2.5 million dollars!) I wouldn't change my protein analysis equipment.
Staff Scientist
First, the $2.5 million wouldn't last very long if I spent the money conducting research, so I would keep my research funds separate from personal funds. With limited research funds, I would remain an educated but frugal consumer. Bio-Rad makes excellent, dependable equipment which it sells at a fair price. I would continue using this equipment to generate quality data, thereby enabling me to keep my day job, because once the tax man takes his chunk of my winnings, I will need that day job to buy shoes for Junior!
Principal Investigator
I am completely familiar with all the pitfalls in the Bio-Rad system and would not want to frustrate myself with switching to a new system and having to learn the ins and outs of producing great data. Millions or no millions, I would still want to be productive and discover something new that could help cancer patients. Bio-Rad has a good system, and I create great westerns with their help every single week. Plus, everyone else around here uses their system too, so I can borrow a lid or a gel box or whatever without too much headache.
Lab Director/Supervisor/Coordinator
I could purchase all the marvelous "toys" that I see at the professional meetings, and now that I no longer need to teach [as I am wealthy!] I could really get some research done!
Professor/Teacher
I have been introduced to Bio-Rad products from my graduate student life. So I think I trust the brand more than others. If I remember correctly, I was introduced to small size Western apparatus from Bio-Rad during my graduate student time (I poured my own gels). Small gels are very cute and easy to setup. Actually, a professor from another lab showed me this small instrument first and asked me to help setup, because I was considered an expert in Western (pouring large size gels and running almost one every day). Also I was introduced to 'ready-made' Western gels first time from Bio-Rad (if my memory is working properly now).
Staff Scientist
I have used Bio-Rad for years and am very happy with the results. I have no interest in changing systems.
Post Doctoral Fellow
I like the products, they work reliably.
Lab Director/Supervisor/Coordinator
I like their products and trust them, so why change?
Principal Investigator
I like what I know and need a good reason to change.
Post Doctoral Fellow
I use what is working for me!
Staff Scientist
If things are working, I'm not changing to another system. You know the saying, "if it ain't broke, don't fix it!"
Laboratory Technician
I'm not much of a shopper -- if it works then I'll probably keep doing it.
Laboratory Technician
Invest in a company which can do better.
Post Doctoral Fellow
It is dependable, I am very used to using it, and therefore it is much easier to stick with the same brand/system -- though I may buy newer versions of the same equipment with all that money.
Post Doctoral Fellow
It's been working since I started doing science in 1997, why change?
Staff Scientist
I've been using the western blot system from Bio-Rad since I first learned how to do westerns as an undergrad. The system is easy to use, never breaks, and gives high-quality, reproducible results every time. Why change now when I already use such a great system?
Graduate Student/Research Assistant
Money would not change the direction and the approaches of the experiments I conduct in this way.
Professor/Teacher
No other company makes the products I use from Bio-Rad.
Post Doctoral Fellow
Nothing beats familiarity with products to make troubleshooting easy.
Principal Investigator
Of course since I chose to become a physician scientist a long time ago and not a wealthy physician, money is obviously not an issue! (Maybe not for my wife...) I am using other instrumentation, and protein analysis is only a part of my research program. Hence this instrumentation fulfills my needs at least for now. Moreover I had good relationship in the past with Bio-Rad for other types of equipment. For me it is critical to make sure the company will provide assistance after the purchase. We are not only talking about selling equipment and instrumentation but really building a long term partnership with the company. I am willing to pay more if needed. Hence a company should really emphasize the relationship with their customers long after the purchase.
Principal Investigator
Only if it breaks.
Lab Director/Supervisor/Coordinator
Quality, and good price, innovative product.
Post Doctoral Fellow
There products are the best and show consistent and reliable results every time.
Post Doctoral Fellow
These guys have been in it from the beginning. They know what they're doing and, more importantly, they know what I'm doing!
Professor/Teacher
They are still one of the best and easier to use. The new Quad system is not the best, the gels need to be better, but still the best.
Staff Scientist
They have high-quality instrumentation that is easy to use, durable, and reliable.
Staff Scientist
We need reliable products for improving patient health!
Staff Scientist
Why change what works?
Principal Investigator
Years of using their system gives me confidence in its performance, ease of usage and reliability. They earned my trust. Sort of like an old marriage, I guess....
Staff Scientist
Bruker Daltronics - Yes
I can finally afford it!
Professor/Teacher
I've used MALDI-TOF, made by Bruker, for seven years. The instrument is reliable.
Staff Scientist
Bruker Daltronics - No
Applied Biosystems seems to be equal or better than Bruker from a technical perspective. Part of it is the perception Bruker is the 800 lb gorilla in high dollar instruments and it would be beneficial to have more companies in the mix.
Staff Scientist
Because $2.5 million isn't enough--their instruments are very expensive.
Professor/Teacher
I would keep the Bruker and buy the major competitors as well. There are always pros and cons to each!
Principal Investigator
I would not change my usage much because we have many other instruments now available to us (Thermo, AB, etc), so we aren't using the Bruker very much. The Bruker instruments look great on paper, but in real life we have had a stream of technical difficulties with them. And the same issue seems to be true of colleague's instruments.
Principal Investigator
Would eliminate -- Bruker sales reps and support people are totally useless.
Principal Investigator
Dionex - Yes
If I have the opportunity, I always evaluate all vendors for new equipment. The choice of Dionex was not under our control.
Professor/Teacher
Dionex - No
Because when it works it works, it has nothing to do with money!
Department Head
I would continue doing research using LC-MS/MS as I carry it out today. However, I would no longer worry about finding a higher paid position to put my children through college.
Professor/Teacher
Their equipment gives precise and accurate measurements. It is very user-friendly. Their sales and technical support are above standard.
Lab Director/Supervisor/Coordinator
Their products are kind of ugly, but over the years I have found that they give superior performance over the long haul and the support people are really extraordinarily helpful. Plus they are innovators.
Principal Investigator
GE Healthcare - Yes
Familiar with it.
Post Doctoral Fellow
GE Healthcare didn't give as much discount as many other companies, but I do like their products. If money is not a concern anymore, I'll buy more products from GE Healthcare.
Principal Investigator
GE Healthcare instruments are very easy to operate though they are highly sophisticated, results are reproducible, and you get almost all the instruments that you need to conduct your experiments. The customer service is very helpful and pricing is also acceptable.
Post Doctoral Fellow
I would daisy chain them and hire someone else to run them!
Laboratory Technician
I would definitely make sure I purchased more equipment from GE as well as hire more researchers for my organization. I would reward everyone with free lunch each day with my winnings!
Laboratory Technician
I would like to get more sophisticated (and really useful) equipment for protein purification and analysis.
Post Doctoral Fellow
I would try another one.
Staff Scientist
It is a reliable company with good reputation. I am familiar with their product and have been using.
Principal Investigator
Our Akta has been a good instrument, easy to use. But after 2 years of use, the pump broke and now the injection valve is off. At a cost to repair approaching $5000, it seems retirement is in its future. If it was more reliable, I'd buy another one. But at this point I'd be more inclined to try a different brand. It is only 4 years old... the first two years saw limited use. And it's ridiculous that it hasn't performed better.
Staff Scientist
Reliable and high quality.
Post Doctoral Fellow
There is always better but more expensive instrumentation there.
Principal Investigator
They are currently the only manufacturer that offers CyDyes and the instrumentation to do 2-DIGE.
Laboratory Technician
GE Healthcare - No
Consistency with previous work.
Principal Investigator
Dedicating oneself to research in science has nothing to do with being a millionaire, the end result from research data is ultimately the goal.
Lab Director/Supervisor/Coordinator
I am used to their products.
Professor/Teacher
I have used it only for a year, so far I'm happy with it. After more extensive use, may be able to comment better.
Post Doctoral Fellow
I would choose the relevant products that meet my needs.
Principal Investigator
I would not change my use of GE Healthcare, because I have been using their systems for years and am very comfortable with them. They have a wide selection of columns and chromatography medias available which meet all my needs. We have multiple systems which allow us to change parts and pieces rapidly to keep the systems running. They have been very reliable. I am sure there are other systems that do similar functions, but I have not heard of, seen, or used them. We are very happy with our systems because they meet all of our needs. The only thing that is a drawback is the expense of some of the pre packed columns we use.
Staff Scientist
I'd just have more of them.
Lab Director/Supervisor/Coordinator
I'm satisfied with the products and how they work.
Staff Scientist
It's a good quality to begin with.
Principal Investigator
Quite a few company/brand names changed, but the quality is still good.
Principal Investigator
The opportunity cost of buying new GE equipment does not compare to potential returns in other investments.
Laboratory Technician
They have the best products that I know of to use.
Post Doctoral Fellow
Unless heard otherwise from a person with more experience (that I trust), I would stick to the same system since it has been shown to work.
Graduate Student/Research Assistant
We already have the top of the line products from GE… my boss is rich.
Post Doctoral Fellow
PerkinElmer Life and Analytical Sciences - Yes
Gradually moving away from purification in the lab. Get colleagues to help.
Principal Investigator
I would be able to go around the micro-managing IT people here and purchase an additional dongle which would allow me to compute and analyze the results from all of my assays at my own desk without having to stand at the common machine for all data analysis.
Staff Scientist
I would upgrade my instrument but stick with PerkinElmer -- stick like glue!
Professor/Teacher
I'd use a completely automated system and save myself some time!
Graduate Student/Research Assistant
More money… new stuff!
Principal Investigator
The product is excellent, but expensive.
Professor/Teacher
There are several new companies (mergers) and new technologies that perform faster and more reliably, and I need to take advantage to remain competitive.
Lab Director/Supervisor/Coordinator
They are quality products and worth their cost.
Staff Scientist
With considerable & ample funding I would like to get different cutting edge instrumentation available in the market.
Professor/Teacher
Yes, I would purchase additional sequencing machines and get an automated mini-prep machine and perhaps even pay a personal technician to do nothing but work these.
Principal Investigator
PerkinElmer Life and Analytical Sciences - No
Because as long as they are able to keep up with my imagination, I'll use their products to materialize it!
Post Doctoral Fellow
I like their product.
Laboratory Technician
It's an excellent piece of equipment.
Staff Scientist
PerkinElmer stuff is as good it gets. With more money, I'd probably buy more of it.
Principal Investigator
Would have to investigate the pros and cons in order to change.
Principal Investigator
Thermo Electron - Yes
Because I would finally have money to buy the products I desperately need.
Professor/Teacher
Good reps and products. Need faster delivery though.
Principal Investigator
I love scientific work. I could consider spending more time with my daughter and take a vacation which I do not do now.
Staff Scientist
I would buy a newer instrument. Perhaps I can even write it off as a business expense!
Lab Director/Supervisor/Coordinator
I would buy more sophisticated instruments to perform the same tasks since we currently use instruments that are cost effective. We would most likely buy the equipment from the same source.
Professor/Teacher
I would get my own phosphoimager and never have to do autoradiography again.
Principal Investigator
I'd buy the Orbitrap!
Lab Director/Supervisor/Coordinator
They are good, reliable, dependable, not very expensive, of good quality.
Post Doctoral Fellow
We bought our existing system with a definite budget in mind. If I was able to spend without concern for price, I would definitely re-evaluate the decision. I may go back to the Thermo Electron system, but I would expect I could find a more sophisticated, more sensitive, and more flexible system. But since this scenario is unlikely, I am not going to worry to much about it. Yet!
Principal Investigator
Yes, upgrade, upgrade, upgrade!
Staff Scientist
Thermo Electron - No
Because, you see, I absolutely love the array scan. How else can I take 4 color picture of live cells in a 96 well plate!
Graduate Student/Research Assistant
For Thermo equipment, once we have decided which piece we need, it has been a given that we would obtain it where appropriate. So, more money would not change our instrumentation, only perhaps increase the number of them!
Principal Investigator
I am very familiar with these products and in my long experience they are very reliable.
Professor/Teacher
I don't need it now.
Staff Scientist
I'd junk my old machine and buy something useful.
Staff Scientist
It is easy to use and gets the job done, so why switch?
Graduate Student/Research Assistant
It's not always more expensive is better!. If I like something from Thermo Scientific, there is no reason to change this.
Staff Scientist
Our Thermo equipment has been validated and changing vendors would pose timeline risks to our development programs as well present an overwhelming amount of work for our quality group. It would not be worth it.
Principal Investigator
Quality and reliability are more important than price -- within reason.
Principal Investigator
The latest and greatest is sometimes a pain. New software to learn, new problems to deal with. I would rather sometimes just do research.
Graduate Student/Research Assistant
The task it performs is a simple one. It does it reliably and without unneeded complication.
Lab Director/Supervisor/Coordinator
Thermo Electron manufactures an instrument that is quite robust, reliable and dependable in addition to being affordable to purchase and to service and repair.
Graduate Student/Research Assistant
Thermo works.
Staff Scientist
What I use works. "Don't fix what ain't broke!"
Lab Director/Supervisor/Coordinator
Varian - Yes
I could afford to buy all of the instrumentation that I have been waiting for.
Lab Director/Supervisor/Coordinator
I will get the 300 MHz NMR for just myself. Varian or Bruker -- does not matter. Actually I would prefer Bruker because of nostalgic childhood memories, but Varian will do by all means.
Post Doctoral Fellow
I would probably supplement any shortcomings of the Varian instrumentation with instrumentation from other vendors. Alternatively, I might have some of the instruments customized to better suit our needs.
Staff Scientist
If there is a change in application, then the most appropriate instrument should be used.
Laboratory Technician
My use of the Varian machine wouldn't change. The context of its use would, however. Approximately US$100,000 would go into turning the instrument into a combined 2-D electrophoresis system and frozen yogurt maker. Then I'd move everything to a remote private island, and conduct research from there, wearing flip-flops and sipping a frappé frozen yogurt.
Lab Director/Supervisor/Coordinator
Now in the 21st century, because of progress in biotechnology and computer technology many new choices are available; it's matter of affordability. If I have resources, certainly I will try different instruments for my research.
Professor/Teacher
Yes, I could afford other, more expensive equipment.
Staff Scientist
Varian - No
Being a dedicated scientist AND a responsible citizen, when I spend grant money, I treat it as if I were spending money out of my own pocket. A $2.5 million lottery jackpot or a $2.5 million grant award -- it's almost the same the thing as far as my spending habits!
Professor/Teacher
I always look for the products that are the best/most useful for my projects for the money I can spend.
Professor/Teacher
I know that the data that I would obtain would be reliable and reproducible so that I could apply and possibly obtain grants for additional funding above the 2.5M I stumbled onto. What I would then do is enter into a CRADA with Varian to help push their product line to allow for even further cutting-edge protein analysis and research.
Staff Scientist
I think Bio-Rad has better instrumentation than Varian.
Staff Scientist
I would invest in high throughput DNA sequencing equipment instead -- following the central dogma of DNA to RNA to protein, I would concentrate on defining the gene sequences (DNA) and transcripts (RNA) before completing protein analysis.
Professor/Teacher
It's been very reliable, and I have not seen any new technology coming up that would replace the existing instruments. Hence I'd stick with the current Varian machine.
Principal Investigator
Spectroscopy equipment from Varian, specifically the UV-Vis and the fluorescence spectrophotometers, are based on Cary optics, possibly the best in the field. So, if I could choose anything, it would still be Varian spectrophotometers.
Staff Scientist
The Varian product I use is their HPLC. I have, on several occasions, evaluated the advantages/disadvantages of the major manufacturers of HPLC systems and have, in the past, used both Waters and Shimadzu systems. However, in three different institutions, I have chosen to purchase Varian systems due to several distinct qualities that I find of importance (software interface, quality of mixing, ease of maintenance, etc). I told the last salesperson that it should be a "buy three get one free" offer, but they didn't go for it...
Professor/Teacher
When you are comfortable with an instrument or old shoe you don't want to change!
Lab Director/Supervisor/Coordinator
Waters - Yes
I can develop my own equipment.
Professor/Teacher
I would double the number of complete systems in the laboratory, to increase throughput and provide redundancy.
Quality Assurance/Quality Control
I would look into getting the Agilent ChIP interface for my mass spec needs. I have seen data that showed that the chip system is vastly superior to my nanoLC system or the Waters microLC system.
Lab Director/Supervisor/Coordinator
I would purchase from vendors better associated with protein products. Currently I use Waters systems/products as a result of my chemistry background and use Waters products by default. I would switch to a better protein vendor with more experience in this field!
Staff Scientist
I would switch most instrumentation over to Agilent due to quality and reliability.
Lab Director/Supervisor/Coordinator
I would upgrade the instrument from Waters and hire people at Waters to run the instrument for the lab.
Principal Investigator
I'd buy more from Waters because their products are reliable.
Staff Scientist
It works but isn't automated enough. I would buy robots to fit with the system, so I never had to touch it, and a full time tech to fix it daily.
Principal Investigator
It's very helpful for my research work, especially for protein identification.
Post Doctoral Fellow
Living on my private island, I gotta have 'Waters'?!
Staff Scientist
Now I would be able to buy my own Waters LC-MS/MS system (actually a couple of them!) instead of having to share it with my colleagues in neighboring departments.
Lab Director/Supervisor/Coordinator
Quality supported by excellent customer service.
Professor/Teacher
Reliable.
Administrator
There are better HPLC and/or protein separation systems on the market than what is presently offered by Waters. These may be a bit more pricey, but in this scenario, price does not matter.
Lab Director/Supervisor/Coordinator
We could finally "afford" the newest HPLC instrument that actually runs on a current operating system!
Staff Scientist
We have been using Waters systems in our lab, and I also have used them previously as a postdoc (years ago). I am very comfortable with the system.
Principal Investigator
Yes, it would change, in that it would expand and increase. Both access and ability to collect reliable protein data is inherent to understanding the function behind many of the genes we study. Transcriptional profiling is often the springboard from which protein studies arrive. The interactions of proteins and protein variants are extremely important in delineating the mechanisms that underlie this behavior.
Lab Director/Supervisor/Coordinator
Waters - No
As a human being, I am resistant to change, and besides why change something that works.
Lab Director/Supervisor/Coordinator
Because research is my passion and Waters help me to continue pursue my goal.
Principal Investigator
Have been a happy & loyal customer of Waters family of products for 25 years. I have 'sampled' other brands, but have come back to Waters time and again. Mostly because of their excellent support and service.
Staff Scientist
I have what I need.
Staff Scientist
It works.
Graduate Student/Research Assistant
It's working just fine, why bother!
Post Doctoral Fellow
No. I am familiar with their products and customer service.
Principal Investigator
Protein analysis is not a major part of my research and I have my eye on equipment in another category.
Principal Investigator
They are not our dominant equipment.
Principal Investigator
We already have it and it is up and running.
Lab Director/Supervisor/Coordinator
We conducted round robin performance testing of all the major MS TOF instruments and Waters had the best performance for our application. Thermo Finnigan does not offer a TOF MS system, which is a requirement for the specifics of our work. Bruker Daltonics is technically competitive with Waters, but our experience with customer support with Bruker was unacceptable. We have a long history with ABI/MDS MS instruments, which are currently not competitive with Waters in our application. I would invest the money to make needed changes in the Waters software and hardware to make it more useful for protein analysis.
Lab Director/Supervisor/Coordinator
We have just got the Synapt (ion-mobility/MS instrument), and at least at the moment there is no competing instrument.
Post Doctoral Fellow
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