While a number of companies are competing for proteomics researchers' favor on big-ticket items like mass spectrometers, other firms are vying for market share for lower-end equipment common to every lab doing protein research.

One such market is the protein gel electrophoresis space. To help ensure that it continues to grow its presence in this market, Invitrogen earlier this month sued Bio-Rad Laboratories over this technology, claiming that some of Bio-Rad's protein gels infringe upon certain Invitrogen patents.