The development history of laboratory consumables

The development history of laboratory consumables

The development history of laboratory consumables demonstrates technological progress, changes in market demand and the development and transformation of the industry. It is estimated that the global laboratory consumables market size was 12.7 million US dollars in 2023 and is expected to reach 17.2 million US dollars by 2030. There are a wide variety of laboratory consumables, covering multiple fields from basic glassware to high-precision plastic consumables and biological reagents.

Glassware: (Before the early 20th century)
In the early days, glassware was mostly used in laboratories, mainly made of natural materials such as glass, ceramics, and metals (copper, aluminum). Glassware, such as beakers, test tubes, alcohol lamps, etc., are mainly made by hand blowing or simple mechanical processing. Their advantages are obvious: they are naturally hydrophilic and suitable for adherent surfaces in vitro cell culture. However, due to the repeated use of glassware, the cleaning process is cumbersome and difficult to clean thoroughly. They are fragile and there is a risk of cross-contamination.

The Rise of Plastics: (Mid-20th century - 1980s)
Around the 1960s, plastic consumables began to appear in biological laboratories in developed countries in Europe and America and gradually replaced most glassware. Plastics (such as polypropylene (PP) and polyethylene (PE) have gradually become popular due to their corrosion resistance, lightness and ease of molding. The introduction of the assembly line production mode has promoted the standardization of consumables. For instance, products such as 96-well microplates and centrifuge tubes have achieved uniform specifications, facilitating compatibility with automated equipment.

Applications of automation: (1990s - early 21st century)
The popularization of technologies such as PCR, gene sequencing, and monoclonal antibody preparation has given rise to the demand for high-precision and low-pollution consumables. For instance: enzyme-free and pyrogen-free PCR tubes, low-adsorption microcentrifuge tubes, and cell factories (consumables for large-scale cell culture). Filter cartridge tips and sterile independent packaging consumables have become mainstream. Coupled with high-throughput screening and robot workstations, consumables are developing towards modularization and integration, such as deep well plates and magnetic bead sorting columns that are matched with automated pipetting workstations.

Intelligence: (From the 2010s to the present)
Consumable products are closely related to digitalization and the Internet of Things. Some consumables are embedded with RFID chips to record sample information, storage conditions, etc., avoiding manual marking errors. If the cryotubes are equipped with temperature sensors, data can be transmitted to the cloud via Bluetooth to monitor the storage status of the samples. Sustainable development has become the guiding principle. The use of trace amounts of consumables (such as nanoscale pipette tips) to Reduce reagent waste conforms to the "3R principle" (Reduce, Reuse, Recycle).