What Arbor Biosciences does

Arbor Biosciences (d/b/a Daicel Arbor Biosciences) is a development and manufacturing company founded in 2006 and headquartered in Ann Arbor, Michigan, specializing in genomics and synthetic biology research tools. It operates as a wholly owned subsidiary of Daicel Corporation, a Japanese diversified conglomerate, under the legal entity Biodiscovery LLC. The company serves academic, government, and commercial research customers across at least eight use-case verticals including agricultural genomics, biomedical and human health research, public health and microbiology, forensics, evolutionary biology and ecology, protein engineering, synthetic biology, and bacteriophage research. Arbor reports supporting thousands of research programs globally with an extensive peer-reviewed publications database.

Its product portfolio is built on proprietary flexible and customizable oligonucleotide pool synthesis technology and is organized around three core franchises: myBaits hybridization capture kits for targeted next-generation sequencing (NGS), myTags in situ hybridization probes for cytogenetics, and myTXTL cell-free protein expression kits for protein synthesis. These are complemented by a fourth franchise, myReads, which delivers laboratory and bioinformatics services covering long-read sequencing, DNA/RNA extraction, library preparation, targeted sequencing, and bioinformatics analysis. In-house manufacturing supports 3-4 week lead times for custom designs and 1-2 weeks for catalog or reorders, with product configurations available from 32 to 768 samples per kit.

The business model combines catalog sales of kits and consumables (priced per unit based on sample quantity, ranging from roughly $480 to $23,920 per kit) with quote-based custom configurations and project-based professional services. Go-to-market is hybrid: direct e-commerce for catalog purchases, scientific-expert-led direct sales for custom designs and enterprise engagements, and a global network of distribution partners for international reach. A co-marketing partnership with Element Biosciences extends reach into agricultural genomics via joint grant funding. The company maintains technical content marketing, peer-reviewed publication citation as social proof, webinar education, and conference participation (including PAG) as primary demand-generation channels.

Name

Arbor Biosciences

Legal name

Biodiscovery LLC

Website

https://arborbiosci.com

Company type

Private

Founded year

2006

Operating status

Operating

Headcount range

11–50 employees

Short description

Arbor Biosciences is a Daicel-owned Ann Arbor-based developer and manufacturer of genomics and synthetic biology research tools — including myBaits targeted NGS kits, myTags ISH probes, myTXTL cell-free expression systems, and myReads lab/bioinformatics services — sold to academic, government, and biotech researchers globally.

Ownership category

akta.pro rank

Product category

Genomics Research Reagents

NAICS

Research and Development in Biotechnology (except Nanobiotechnology) (541714)

SIC

Services-Commercial Physical & Biological Research (8731)

akta.pro primary industry

Molecular Biology & Genomics Instruments (PCR/qPCR, Sequencing, Microarrays) (HLAGAIAF)

akta.pro secondary industries

Microbiome & Metagenomics Services (HLAGANAH), Microbiome Analytics, Sequencing & Bioinformatics Platforms (HLAAAFAI), Synthetic Biology & Genetic Circuit Design Platforms (pathway engineering, chassis development) (HLAAAIAD), Transcriptomics & Gene Expression Profiling Services (HLAGANAE)

Keywords

• Targeted NGS kits
• Hybridization capture
• Cell-free protein expression
• In situ hybridization probes
• Genomics reagents

Headquarters

HQ city

Ann Arbor

HQ country

United States

HQ region

North America

Offices1 record

Markets served

GTM type

B2B

Offering type

Hardware or Manufacturing

Cost components

Personnel, Operations, Supply Chain, Technology or R&D, Marketing or Sales, Infrastructure

Revenue model

1. NGS Kits and Consumables: Sale of myBaits hybridization capture kits, library preparation kits, and related reagents for targeted next-generation sequencing applications. Products available in various sizes from 32 to 768 samples.
2. Cytogenetics Products: Sale of myTags in situ hybridization probes including custom and predesigned options for cytogenetics research applications.
3. Cell-Free Protein Expression Products: Sale of myTXTL cell-free protein expression kits including Pro Kit and Antibody/DS Kit options for protein synthesis applications.
4. Sequencing Services: Comprehensive lab services including long-read sequencing, DNA/RNA extraction, library preparation, targeted sequencing, and NGS platform support through myReads service packages.
5. Bioinformatics Services: Data analysis services including variant calling and alignment, and custom bioinformatics analyses for genomics projects.

Pricing tiers

Go-to-market motion3 records

Distribution channels3 records

Marketing channels7 records

Core offering

Arbor Biosciences develops, manufactures, and sells proprietary genomics and proteomics research tools, including myBaits hybridization capture kits for targeted next-generation sequencing, myTags in situ hybridization probes for cytogenetics, and myTXTL cell-free protein expression kits. The company also provides laboratory services under the myReads brand, including long-read sequencing, DNA/RNA extraction, library preparation, targeted sequencing, and bioinformatics analyses, supporting researchers across agriculture, biomedical, public health, forensics, and synthetic biology applications.

Product overview

Daicel Arbor Biosciences offers a portfolio of specialized genomics and proteomics products organized into three main categories: Targeted NGS (myBaits hybridization capture kits and Library Prep kits for next-generation sequencing), Cytogenetics ISH (myTags in situ hybridization probes), and Cell-Free Protein Expression (myTXTL in vitro protein expression kits). The product portfolio also includes the myBaits Microbial Collection for pathogen sequencing and various predesigned expert panels. These products are complemented by laboratory services including sequencing (Long-Read, Extraction, Library Preparation, Targeted Sequencing) and bioinformatics services (Variant Calling, Custom Analyses) offered through the myReads service brand.

Differentiator

Problem solved

Functional benefit

Brands

• myBaits: Hybridization capture kits for targeted next-generation sequencing (NGS). Includes custom kits, predesigned kits, and specialized panels for various applications including microbial sequencing, UCE, mitochondrial DNA, and forensics.
• myTags
• myTXTL
• myReads

Products and services

• myBaits Custom Hybridization Capture Kits

Quantifiable outcome

• Lower sequencing costs by reducing irrelevant data through targeted enrichment
• +3 more outcomes

Segments8 records

Ideal customer profiles6 records

Technology focussed Yes

API detail

Has API

No

API docs

API detail

Core technology

AI maturity

App detail

Feature5 records

Partnerships

Two partnerships are on record, tiered core and strategic.

• Daicel CorporationcoreOEM/ Whitelabel/ Licensing PartnerDaicel Corporation is the parent company of Daicel Arbor Biosciences. The company operates as a subsidiary (d/b/a Daicel Arbor Biosciences) under the Daicel Group, a global specialty chemicals and performance products company.
• Element BiosciencesstrategicStrategic or Co-development PartnerJoint grant opportunity announced for accelerating agrigenomics research. The partnership combines Element Biosciences' AVITI sequencing platform capabilities with Daicel Arbor Biosciences' myBaits targeted sequencing solutions to support researchers in agricultural genomics.

Scale indicators2 records

Recent moves5 records

Expansion highlights5 records

Direct peers

• Twist Bioscience: Twist manufactures DNA synthesis products and custom NGS target enrichment panels that directly compete with Arbor's myBaits hybridization capture kits. Both companies serve genomics researchers with custom oligo pools and capture panels, making Twist the closest comparable in the core product line.
• Integrated DNA Technologies (IDT): IDT's xGen Lockdown probes and NGS target enrichment reagents directly compete with myBaits. Both companies offer custom oligo pools for targeted sequencing and serve the same academic and agrigenomics customer base with overlapping applications.
• Zymo Research: Zymo Research provides DNA/RNA extraction and microbial genomics solutions that overlap with Arbor's myReads extraction services and microbial sequencing panels. Both companies serve microbiome, infectious disease, and environmental research customers with integrated sample-to-analysis workflows.
• Sutro Biopharma: Sutro Biopharma operates one of the leading cell-free protein expression platforms (XpressCF) for therapeutic applications. While Sutro focuses on therapeutic-scale production and Arbor on research-scale myTXTL, both compete in the cell-free protein expression space identified as a USD 267M market.

Broad incumbents

• Agilent Technologies: Agilent's SureSelectXT hybridization capture kits are a major competitor in the targeted NGS space. As a much larger analytical instruments and life sciences company, Agilent competes across the same workflow stages as Arbor but with broader product breadth and stronger platform partnerships.
• Roche / NimbleGen (SeqCap): Roche's NimbleGen SeqCap products are a legacy hybridization capture competitor in the targeted NGS market. As part of Roche's broader diagnostics and life sciences portfolio, SeqCap competes with myBaits particularly in clinical and translational research settings.
• New England Biolabs (NEB): NEB supplies a wide range of molecular biology reagents, including NGS library prep and target enrichment tools that compete with Arbor's offerings. While NEB has a much broader enzyme and reagent catalog, it overlaps with Arbor in DNA sample prep and targeted sequencing workflows.
• Qiagen: Qiagen offers sample preparation, NGS target enrichment, and bioinformatics solutions that overlap with Arbor's portfolio, particularly in microbial genomics and clinical research. As a much larger tools provider, Qiagen competes broadly across Arbor's application areas.
• Illumina: Illumina dominates the NGS sequencing platform market on which Arbor's open-platform capture kits are deployed. While Illumina is upstream of Arbor in the workflow, its expanding menu of in-house enrichment and library prep products creates indirect competitive pressure on myBaits.

Others

• Eurofins Genomics: Eurofins Genomics offers sequencing and bioinformatics services that overlap with Arbor's myReads offerings. As a large international genomics services provider, Eurofins is a comparable service competitor for researchers outsourcing sample-to-data projects.

Market position

Strengths5 records

Weaknesses5 records

Competitive moat4 records

Key risks6 records

Key highlights7 records

Customer concentration

• Xtwitter.com/arborbio
• LinkedInlinkedin.com/company/arbor-biosciences

Revenue estimate

Valuation estimate

Number of profiles

Profiles5 records

Funding overview

Funding rounds

Investors

Funding detail is available on the Subscription and Enterprise plan.Contact sales →

M&A

Investments

M&A and investment is available on the Subscription and Enterprise plan.Contact sales →

Frequently asked questions about Arbor Biosciences