Global Proteomics Market Outlook, 2031

The global proteomics industry covers the instruments, reagents, consumables, software and services used to identify, measure and characterise proteins in biological samples, including their structures, modifications, interactions and functions. Proteins carry out most of the work in cells and are the targets of most drugs, so measuring them at scale helps researchers understand disease, discover drug targets, develop biomarkers and diagnostic tests, and monitor treatment. The main technologies are mass spectrometry, supplied by Thermo Fisher Scientific, Bruker, SCIEX within Danaher, Agilent and Waters; affinity-based platforms that measure thousands of proteins in blood using antibodies or aptamers, such as Olink, now part of Thermo Fisher, SomaLogic, acquired by Illumina in January 2026, and Alamar Biosciences; immunoassays and protein microarrays from companies such as Bio-Rad, Quanterix, Luminex within DiaSorin and Meso Scale Diagnostics; chromatography and electrophoresis systems; and emerging single-molecule protein sequencing platforms from Quantum-Si and Nautilus Biotechnology. Sample preparation products from Seer, Biognosys and PreOmics, protein structure tools such as cryo-electron microscopy and X-ray crystallography, and bioinformatics software form further segments. Customers include academic and government research institutes, pharmaceutical and biotechnology companies, contract research organisations, clinical laboratories and population health programmes.

Proteomics has entered a period of rapid scaling, often compared with the early years of large-scale genomics. Mass spectrometers have become much faster and more sensitive, with Thermo Fisher's Orbitrap Astral, launched in 2023, and Bruker's timsTOF platforms allowing researchers to measure thousands of proteins in large numbers of samples. Affinity platforms have enabled population-scale studies of blood proteins: the UK Biobank Pharma Proteomics Project, supported by a consortium of pharmaceutical companies, announced in January 2025 that it would measure up to 5,400 proteins in 600,000 samples, making it the largest proteomics study ever undertaken, and similar projects are running in other biobanks. Consolidation has accelerated. Thermo Fisher completed its USD 3.1 billion acquisition of Olink in July 2024, Standard BioTools merged with SomaLogic in January 2024, and Illumina acquired SomaLogic from Standard BioTools for USD 350 million in January 2026, combining aptamer-based protein measurement with sequencing readouts and Illumina Protein Prep. Artificial intelligence has also transformed protein science: AlphaFold 3 was released in May 2024, and the 2024 Nobel Prize in Chemistry recognised computational protein design and structure prediction. At the same time, academic funding pressures, particularly cuts to US National Institutes of Health grants in 2025, and weaker biotechnology spending have made some customers more cautious about instrument purchases.

Market Dynamics Market Drivers • Drug Discovery and Biomarker DevelopmentPharmaceutical and biotechnology companies use proteomics to identify drug targets, understand how drugs work, find biomarkers for patient selection and monitor safety and response in trials. Large proteomic studies linked to genetic data help validate targets by showing which proteins are causally linked to disease. The growth of antibody-drug conjugates, targeted protein degraders and precision medicine increases demand for protein-level data across the drug development process.
• Technological Advances in Sensitivity and ThroughputNew mass spectrometers, faster chromatography, improved sample preparation and high-plex affinity platforms have increased the number of proteins that can be measured and the speed of analysis. Researchers can now profile thousands of proteins in thousands of samples, making population-scale studies practical. Single-cell proteomics, spatial proteomics and protein sequencing technologies are opening new research areas and attracting investment from instrument makers and start-ups.

Market Challenges • High Costs and Technical ComplexityHigh-end mass spectrometers can cost more than USD 1 million, and running them requires skilled staff, careful sample preparation and complex data analysis. Affinity platforms charge per sample, which adds up in large studies. Many smaller laboratories lack the budget and expertise to adopt advanced proteomics, and data from different platforms can be difficult to compare, slowing standardisation and clinical adoption.
• Research Funding Pressure and Clinical TranslationAcademic and government research institutes are major customers, and cuts to research budgets, including reductions to US NIH funding in 2025, have delayed instrument purchases. Biotechnology funding downturns have also reduced spending. Converting proteomic discoveries into approved diagnostic tests is slow and costly, requiring validation in large patient groups and regulatory approval, so relatively few proteomic tests have reached routine clinical use.

Market Trends • Population-Scale Proteomics and Multi-OmicsBiobanks and health systems are measuring proteins in hundreds of thousands of people and linking the data with genomics, health records and imaging. The UK Biobank project, studies in the United States, Europe and Asia, and pharmaceutical consortia are creating resources for target discovery and disease prediction. Companies are combining protein data with genomic and transcriptomic data, and Illumina's acquisition of SomaLogic reflects a strategy of offering multi-omics from a single platform.
• Single-Cell, Spatial and Next-Generation Protein SequencingResearchers are developing methods to measure proteins in single cells and to map protein locations in tissues, helping to understand tumours, immune responses and brain biology. Spatial proteomics platforms from companies such as Akoya, Bruker and others are growing. Single-molecule protein sequencing from Quantum-Si and Nautilus aims to identify proteins and modifications with greater depth, while AI tools are improving the interpretation of proteomic data.



Segment Analysis Instruments account for a large share of proteomics spending because of the high cost of mass spectrometers and related systems, while reagents, consumables and services generate recurring revenue and are the fastest-growing components. Instruments include mass spectrometers, liquid chromatography systems, protein microarray readers, immunoassay analysers, electrophoresis systems, next-generation sequencers used for affinity-based protein readouts, and structural biology instruments such as cryo-electron microscopes and X-ray diffraction systems. Mass spectrometers from Thermo Fisher, Bruker, SCIEX, Agilent and Waters are the largest instrument category by value, and each new generation increases sensitivity and speed. Reagents and consumables include antibodies, aptamer panels, assay kits, labelling reagents such as tandem mass tags, enzymes such as trypsin, chromatography columns, sample preparation kits and protein standards, and they are purchased repeatedly, providing steady revenue. Affinity platforms such as Olink's proximity extension assays and SomaLogic's SomaScan are sold largely as reagent kits or services per sample. Software and bioinformatics tools process and interpret large datasets, including search engines, quantification software, protein databases and AI-based analysis platforms. Services include contract proteomics offered by specialist providers, core facilities, contract research organisations and platform companies that analyse samples for customers. Structural proteomics tools and protein interaction analysis systems form further categories. Recurring consumables and services are growing faster than instruments as large studies run millions of samples.

Mass spectrometry is the leading proteomics technology for discovery and characterisation, while affinity-based platforms have grown fastest for large-scale blood protein studies. Mass spectrometry identifies and quantifies proteins by measuring the mass of peptides, and it can detect thousands of proteins without predefined targets, as well as post-translational modifications such as phosphorylation and glycosylation. It is the main tool for discovery proteomics, protein characterisation in biopharmaceutical development and quality control of therapeutic proteins. Data-independent acquisition methods and faster instruments have improved reproducibility. Affinity-based technologies, including proximity extension assays, aptamer-based assays, NULISA and multiplex immunoassays, measure predefined proteins with high sensitivity and throughput in small blood volumes, making them well suited to population studies and clinical research. Immunoassays such as ELISA and ultrasensitive single-molecule assays remain widely used for measuring individual proteins and biomarkers in research and diagnostics. Protein microarrays measure many proteins or antibodies at once. Chromatography and electrophoresis separate proteins before analysis. X-ray crystallography, nuclear magnetic resonance and cryo-electron microscopy determine protein structures. Emerging single-molecule protein sequencing and nanopore approaches aim to read proteins directly. Spatial proteomics technologies combine imaging and multiplexed antibodies to map proteins in tissues.

Drug discovery and development is the largest application of proteomics, while clinical diagnostics and biomarker discovery are among the fastest-growing applications. Drug discovery and development uses proteomics for target identification and validation, understanding drug mechanisms, finding biomarkers for patient stratification, assessing drug safety and characterising biologic drugs such as antibodies. Pharmaceutical companies fund large proteomic studies, including the UK Biobank Pharma Proteomics Project, to discover targets supported by genetic evidence. Biomarker discovery identifies proteins that indicate disease risk, diagnosis, prognosis or treatment response, and proteomics has produced candidate biomarkers for cancer, cardiovascular disease, dementia, kidney disease and many other conditions. Clinical diagnostics is a smaller but growing application, including protein-based tests for cancer, heart disease and Alzheimer's disease, such as blood tests measuring phosphorylated tau, and clinical mass spectrometry for newborn screening and protein disorders. Basic research uses proteomics to understand cell biology, signalling, protein interactions and disease mechanisms. Population health and precision medicine programmes use proteomics to predict disease risk across large populations. Biopharmaceutical quality control uses mass spectrometry to confirm the identity, purity and modifications of therapeutic proteins. Other applications include food safety, agriculture, microbiology and environmental research.

Pharmaceutical and biotechnology companies are the largest end users of proteomics, while academic and research institutes remain a major customer group and clinical laboratories are the fastest-growing users. Pharmaceutical and biotechnology companies use proteomics across research, development and manufacturing, and they are the largest buyers of affinity-based services, mass spectrometry systems and contract proteomics services. Large companies such as AstraZeneca, Pfizer, Regeneron, Amgen, Novo Nordisk and others participate in population proteomics consortia. Academic and research institutes, including universities, government laboratories and non-profit research centres, are major users of mass spectrometers and proteomics core facilities, and their spending depends on government research funding, which faced pressure in the United States in 2025. Contract research organisations and specialist proteomics service providers analyse samples for pharmaceutical and academic customers. Clinical and diagnostic laboratories are increasingly adopting protein-based tests, clinical mass spectrometry and biomarker panels, and hospital laboratories use proteomics for specific tests. Biobanks and population health programmes, such as UK Biobank and national precision medicine initiatives, are important new customers for large-scale protein measurement. Food, agricultural and environmental laboratories use proteomics for testing and research. Forensic laboratories use protein analysis in some investigations. Technology companies and AI developers increasingly use proteomic datasets to train models for protein science and drug discovery.

Regional Analysis North America leads the proteomics market because of large pharmaceutical and academic research spending, the presence of major instrument and platform companies, and strong adoption of advanced technologies, while Europe and Asia-Pacific are major and growing markets. North America, led by the United States, accounts for the largest share of the proteomics market. The United States has the largest concentration of pharmaceutical and biotechnology companies, major research universities and institutes, and proteomics technology providers, including Thermo Fisher, Illumina, SCIEX, Agilent, Waters, Quanterix, Seer, Nautilus, Quantum-Si and Alamar. Illumina's acquisition of SomaLogic in January 2026 strengthened its position in large-scale protein measurement. Cuts to NIH funding in 2025 created uncertainty for academic spending, while pharmaceutical demand remained strong. Canada has active proteomics research centres. Europe is the second largest market, with strong academic proteomics groups in Germany, the UK, Switzerland, the Netherlands, Denmark and Sweden, and companies including Bruker in Germany, Olink's origins in Sweden, Biognosys in Switzerland and Evotec. The UK Biobank Pharma Proteomics Project, announced in 2025, is the largest population proteomics study in the world, and European research programmes fund proteomics infrastructure. Asia-Pacific is the fastest-growing region, driven by China's large investments in life sciences research, biobanks and domestic instrument manufacturing, Japan's established proteomics research and instrument makers such as Shimadzu, and growing research capacity in South Korea, Singapore, Australia and India. China has launched large human proteome projects and is expanding clinical proteomics. Latin America, the Middle East and Africa have smaller markets, with growing research capacity in Brazil, Saudi Arabia, the UAE and Israel, where population genomics and precision medicine programmes are adding proteomics.

Key Developments January 2026: Illumina acquired SomaLogic and related assets from Standard BioTools for USD 350 million plus milestones, adding SomaScan proteomics to its multi-omics portfolio.
January 2025: The UK Biobank Pharma Proteomics Project announced plans to measure up to 5,400 proteins in 600,000 samples, supported by a consortium of pharmaceutical companies.
October 2024: The Nobel Prize in Chemistry was awarded to David Baker for computational protein design and to Demis Hassabis and John Jumper for AI-based protein structure prediction.
July 2024: Thermo Fisher completed its USD 3.1 billion acquisition of Olink, adding high-throughput affinity proteomics to its mass spectrometry business.
May 2024: AlphaFold 3 extended AI structure prediction to protein interactions with DNA, RNA, small molecules and other proteins, supporting drug discovery and protein research.
January 2024: Standard BioTools merged with SomaLogic, combining mass cytometry and microfluidics with aptamer-based proteomics before later selling SomaLogic to Illumina.

Considered in this report
• Historic Year: 2020
• Base Year: 2025
• Estimated Year: 2026
• Forecast Year: 2031

Aspects covered in this report
• Global Proteomics Market with its value and forecast along with its segments
• Various drivers and challenges
• Ongoing trends and developments
• Top profiled companies
• Strategic recommendation

By Component
• Instruments
• Reagents and Consumables
• Software and Bioinformatics
• Services

By Technology
• Mass Spectrometry
• Affinity-Based Platforms
• Immunoassays and Protein Microarrays
• Chromatography and Electrophoresis
• Structural Biology Techniques
• Protein Sequencing

By Application
• Drug Discovery and Development
• Biomarker Discovery
• Clinical Diagnostics
• Basic Research
• Population Health and Precision Medicine

By End User
• Pharmaceutical and Biotechnology Companies
• Academic and Research Institutes
• Contract Research Organisations
• Clinical and Diagnostic Laboratories