Addgene by the Numbers

At Addgene, we collect and manage a lot of data. A few of the tools that we use to track this data include our Laboratory Inventory Management System (LIMS) and Zendesk, which is our customer service ticketing system. LIMS keeps track of everything from deposited materials to material shipping times. Zendesk keeps some of our external communications with scientists organized. Both systems allow us to extract data to see trends from the past so that we can be more informed about the future.

Below are a few examples of data that we have collected.

Figure 1. Generated from comments by scientists through Addgene’s Zendesk account. Image created through wordle.net.

Total Yearly Plasmid Distribution

The above figure shows yearly plasmid distribution. Addgene has grown steadily each year, but significantly from 2005 to present day.

Total Monthly Plasmid Distribution

The above figure shows the number of plasmid distributions from 2005 to present, sorted by the number of distributions per month. Addgene is busiest during March and October and distribution slows in September and December. The slowing in September may be due to students just coming back to the lab after summer vacation and the slowing in December may be due to the winter holiday season.

Popular Items

Item Name	Number of Mentions in Top 10 (from 2005-Present)
pMD2.G	11
psPAX2	10
scramble shRNA	7
pLKO.1 - TRC cloning vector	5
pCMV-VSV-G	4
pX330-U6-Chimeric_BB-CBh-hSpCas9	4
pLVTHM	3
pRSV-Rev	3
pSpCas9(BB)-2A-GFP (PX458)	3
lentiCRISPR v2	3

The above chart lists some of Addgene’s most highly requested items. pMD2.G has been in the Top 10 list of distributed items 11 out of 12 years and has been the number one, most requested item 5 of those 11 years.

Where does Addgene Interact with Researchers?

As the above map shows, Addgene has answered researchers’ questions across the globe. The United States and Europe represent some of the largest numbers of correspondence but we have also spoken with scientists in Bolivia, Ghana, Cyprus, Nigeria and Sri Lanka.

How Does Addgene Keep Up with Demand?

Figure 2. Calculations assume that each employee has drunk 1.5 cups of coffee on average per day and a 25% increase in the number of Addgene employees on average per year.

Addgene employees (Addgenies for short) drink a lot of coffee to keep us going. Over the years, Addgenies have consumed over 88,000 cups of coffee. That’s more than one ton of coffee!

Addgene’s access to and usage of so much data greatly impacts how we make decisions. From plasmid distribution to global outreach, we use data as a tool to notice trends from the past in order to anticipate and plan for the future.