Desalting and Buffer Exchange Market - Global Industry Size, Share, Trends, Opportunity, and Forecast, Segmented By Technique (Filtration, Chromatography, Precipitation), By Product (Kit, Cassettes & Cartridges, Filter Plates, Spin Columns, Membrane Filters, Other Consumables and Accessories), By Application (Bioprocess Applications, Pharmaceutical and Biotechnology Companies, CMOS & CROS, Academic & Research Institutes, Diagnostic Applications), By Region, and By Competition, 2021-2031F

Forecast Period	2027-2031
Market Size (2025)	USD 1248.09 Million
CAGR (2026-2031)	11.01%
Fastest Growing Segment	Filtration
Largest Market	North America
Market Size (2031)	USD 2335.71 Million

Market Overview

The Global Desalting and Buffer Exchange Market will grow from USD 1248.09 Million in 2025 to USD 2335.71 Million by 2031 at a 11.01% CAGR. Desalting and buffer exchange are critical chromatographic techniques employed to separate soluble macromolecules from smaller contaminants or to modify the buffer composition of biological samples for downstream compatibility. The market is primarily propelled by the robust expansion of the biopharmaceutical sector, where the production of monoclonal antibodies and recombinant proteins requires high-purity isolation. This growth is underpinned by substantial sector investment; according to the European Federation of Pharmaceutical Industries and Associations, in 2024, the research-based pharmaceutical industry invested an estimated €55,000 million in R&D across Europe. Additionally, the increasing focus on proteomics and genomics research necessitates precise sample preparation, further stimulating the demand for these purification technologies.

However, the market encounters a significant impediment regarding the high operational costs and technical complexities associated with advanced chromatography systems. These financial and technical barriers often restrict access for smaller laboratories and academic institutions with limited budgets, thereby slowing the universal adoption of automated solutions. Consequently, despite the clear necessity for high-quality biomolecule separation, the significant capital expenditure required for specialized desalting instrumentation continues to pose a challenge to broader market expansion.

Key Market Drivers

The expansion of Contract Development and Manufacturing Organization (CDMO) Services is a primary force accelerating the adoption of desalting and buffer exchange technologies. As biopharmaceutical companies increasingly outsource production to optimize costs and access specialized expertise, CDMOs are scaling their facilities to handle larger volumes of biologics, which necessitates robust downstream processing capabilities for contaminant removal and buffer modification. This operational scaling significantly boosts investment in purification infrastructure to ensure seamless workflow integration. For example, according to Lonza, January 2025, in the 'Annual Report 2024', the company invested CHF 1.4 billion in capital expenditure throughout 2024, with approximately 60% deployed for growth projects including large-scale biologics plants. Such substantial capital allocation by major CDMOs underscores the critical need for advanced processing equipment to support the growing global manufacturing footprint.

Concurrently, the increasing demand for monoclonal antibodies (mAbs) is directly expanding the market, as these complex molecules require precise buffer exchange steps to ensure stability and prevent aggregation during formulation. The dominance of mAbs in the drug pipeline drives the requirement for high-throughput desalting solutions that can maintain strict purity standards while accommodating accelerated development timelines. This momentum is evident in recent regulatory outcomes; according to Drug Discovery and Development, December 2024, in the article '4 trends in FDA novel approvals in 2024', the FDA approved 13 monoclonal antibodies in 2024, marking the highest annual count for this modality since 2015. This high approval rate reflects a broader surge in therapeutic innovation and financial backing for life sciences, which further fuels the market. According to the BioIndustry Association, in January 2025, the UK biotech sector secured £3.5 billion in investment during 2024, indicating the sustained capital flow that supports the continued development and purification needs of these antibody-based therapies.

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Key Market Challenges

The high capital expenditure and operational costs associated with advanced chromatography systems present a substantial barrier to the growth of the Global Desalting and Buffer Exchange Market. While large biopharmaceutical companies may possess the resources to absorb these expenses, smaller laboratories, academic institutions, and early-stage biotech startups often face restrictive budgets that prevent the acquisition of automated desalting instrumentation. These advanced systems are essential for high-throughput and precise buffer exchange; however, the financial burden forces many budget-constrained facilities to rely on manual, time-consuming, and less consistent methods, thereby limiting the broader adoption of automated technologies.

This financial strain is exacerbated by tightening funding environments for smaller innovators who rely heavily on non-dilutive capital to upgrade their infrastructure. According to the BioIndustry Association, in 2024, grant funding available to the biotech sector declined to £33 million, with a 30% drop in the average grant size compared to the previous period. Such a reduction in available capital directly hampers the purchasing power of smaller market participants, effectively stalling the universal transition from manual techniques to the sophisticated automated solutions that drive market revenue.

Key Market Trends

The adoption of automated liquid handling workflows is fundamentally reshaping the Global Desalting and Buffer Exchange Market by addressing the critical bottleneck of manual sample processing. Laboratories are increasingly transitioning to robotic workstations that ensure high reproducibility and throughput, effectively mitigating the risks of human error associated with traditional manual desalting methods. This technological integration is particularly vital for handling large sample libraries in genomics and proteomics, where consistency is paramount. The robust market demand for these automated solutions is evident in the financial performance of key enablers; according to Tecan Group, March 2024, in the 'Annual Report 2023', the company reported full-year sales of CHF 1,074.4 million, reflecting the sustained industry investment in advanced laboratory automation infrastructure.

Concurrently, a sharpened focus on sustainable and eco-friendly buffer solutions is driving the development of purification technologies that minimize environmental impact. As the volume of biopharmaceutical production rises, the industry is actively seeking to reduce the massive water and chemical footprint associated with buffer preparation and exchange processes. This push toward green chromatography is prompting manufacturers to optimize solvent consumption and implement rigorous waste reduction strategies. This commitment is quantifiable among major industry leaders; according to Merck KGaA, April 2024, in the 'Sustainability Report 2023', the company achieved a 5% reduction in its key Waste Score ahead of schedule, underscoring the sector-wide imperative to adopt more efficient and environmentally responsible purification workflows.

Segmental Insights

The filtration segment currently demonstrates the fastest growth within the global desalting and buffer exchange market, primarily driven by its extensive application in biopharmaceutical manufacturing. This expansion results from the increasing production of monoclonal antibodies and recombinant proteins, where filtration offers superior scalability and throughput compared to alternative methods. Furthermore, stringent purity standards enforced by regulatory bodies such as the U.S. Food and Drug Administration compel manufacturers to adopt efficient separation technologies. Consequently, the ability of filtration systems to process large volumes while maintaining biomolecule integrity makes them the preferred solution for industrial-scale operations.

Regional Insights

North America maintains a leading position in the global desalting and buffer exchange market, primarily driven by significant investment in the biopharmaceutical and life sciences sectors. The region possesses well-established research infrastructure and a high concentration of major industry players focusing on drug development. Additionally, stringent regulatory frameworks enforced by the U.S. Food and Drug Administration (FDA) regarding product purity and safety compel manufacturers to adopt effective filtration and separation processes. These factors collectively support the continuous demand for purification technologies across the United States and Canada.

Recent Developments

• In September 2025, Thermo Fisher Scientific completed the acquisition of Solventum’s Purification and Filtration business for approximately $4.0 billion in cash. This strategic transaction integrates Solventum’s specialized bioprocessing filtration and membrane technologies into the acquiring company's Life Sciences Solutions segment. The addition of these capabilities is expected to significantly enhance the company's end-to-end bioproduction offerings, specifically improving quality and efficiency in upstream and downstream workflows, including critical desalting and buffer exchange steps. The deal also expands the company's technical reach into adjacent industrial markets, such as ultra-pure water and membrane solutions for medical devices.
• In July 2025, Cytiva introduced the ÄKTA readyflux TFF system 500, an automated single-use tangential flow filtration platform tailored for smaller-scale manufacturing. This new system was developed to meet the increasing demand for efficient buffer exchange and concentration in low-volume applications for advanced therapeutics, such as viral vectors, monoclonal antibodies, and mRNA-based treatments. The platform features a disposable flow path that minimizes cross-contamination risks and reduces the downtime associated with cleaning validation. By enabling precise control over diafiltration processes, the system supports drug developers in seamlessly scaling operations from process development to clinical production while maximizing product recovery.
• In January 2025, Bio-Rad Laboratories launched the Foresight Pro 45 cm inner diameter chromatography columns to support downstream process-scale applications in the biopharmaceutical industry. These prepacked columns are manufactured in an ISO Class 7 cleanroom and are designed for the efficient purification and buffer exchange of biomolecules, including antibodies and recombinant proteins. The columns are packed with CHT Ceramic Hydroxyapatite Media, a mixed-mode support that facilitates unique separation properties for complex purification challenges. This product release directly addresses the market's need for larger, GMP-ready columns that ensure consistent performance and eliminate the operational burden of packing and validating columns manually.
• In July 2024, Repligen Corporation announced a definitive agreement to acquire Tantti Laboratory Inc., a company specializing in macroporous chromatography beads. This acquisition was aimed at integrating Tantti’s proprietary DuloCore technology, which optimizes the purification and buffer exchange of new modalities like viral vectors and nucleic acids, with Repligen's existing affinity ligands and pre-packed column portfolios. The collaboration focuses on addressing throughput and scalability challenges often encountered in the downstream processing of large biomolecules. The transaction was strategically designed to strengthen the company’s leadership in the bioprocessing market by providing high-performance tools for the purification of advanced genetic medicines.

Key Market Players

• Thermo Fisher Scientific Inc.
• Avantor Inc.
• Bio-Rad Laboratories Inc.
• Merck KGaA
• Danaher Corporation
• Repligen Corporation
• Agilent Technologies Inc.
• Biotage AB
• Norgen Biotek Corp
• Sartorius AG

By Technique	By Product	By Application	By Region
Filtration Chromatography Precipitation	Kit Cassettes & Cartridges Filter Plates Spin Columns Membrane Filters Other Consumables and Accessories	Bioprocess Applications Pharmaceutical and Biotechnology Companies CMOS & CROS Academic & Research Institutes Diagnostic Applications	North America Europe Asia Pacific South America Middle East & Africa

Report Scope:

In this report, the Global Desalting and Buffer Exchange Market has been segmented into the following categories, in addition to the industry trends which have also been detailed below:

• Desalting and Buffer Exchange Market, By Technique:

• Filtration
• Chromatography
• Precipitation

• Desalting and Buffer Exchange Market, By Product:

• Kit
• Cassettes & Cartridges
• Filter Plates
• Spin Columns
• Membrane Filters
• Other Consumables and Accessories

• Desalting and Buffer Exchange Market, By Application:

• Bioprocess Applications
• Pharmaceutical and Biotechnology Companies
• CMOS & CROS
• Academic & Research Institutes
• Diagnostic Applications

• Desalting and Buffer Exchange Market, By Region:

• North America
• United States
• Canada
• Mexico
• Europe
• France
• United Kingdom
• Italy
• Germany
• Spain
• Asia Pacific
• China
• India
• Japan
• Australia
• South Korea
• South America
• Brazil
• Argentina
• Colombia
• Middle East & Africa
• South Africa
• Saudi Arabia
• UAE