manufactured · input

Glass Fiber Conjugate Pads & Borosilicate Fiber Membranes

Borosilicate glass fiber membranes used as the conjugate pad in lateral flow assays (holds dried gold-conjugated antibody) and as the silica membrane in RNA extraction spin columns. Both applications require extremely consistent fiber diameter, porosity, and surface chemistry. Whatman (Cytiva/Danaher) glass fiber papers are standard.

Source countries

Companies

Goods affected

Claims on record

What depends on it

Goods that need this input

1 essential American goods rely on glass fiber conjugate pads & borosilicate fiber membranes somewhere upstream in their supply chain.

Health

Diagnostic tests and lab supplies

PCR reagents, rapid antigen tests, lab analyzers, and sample collection kits for clinical and public health testing.

Where it comes from

Source countries

Share of global supply, by country.

Country	Share of supply
GBUnited Kingdom	40%
USUnited States	35%
DEGermany	30%
CNChina	20%
FIFinland	12%
INIndia	5%

Who makes it

Supplier companies

5 companies produce glass fiber conjugate pads & borosilicate fiber membranes.

Cytiva (Danaher Corporation)

HQ US45% share

Life sciences tools and services business of Danaher Corporation (NYSE: DHR); formed from the 2019 GE Healthcare Life Sciences acquisition; produces Vivid® lateral flow nitrocellulose membranes (formerly Whatman/GE brand); market leader in lateral flow assay membranes for diagnostics; also owns the Pall filtration business; Cytiva Vivid membranes are the reference standard used in most FDA-cleared lateral flow diagnostic assays including COVID-19, pregnancy tests, and flu diagnostics; Marlborough MA headquarters

Danaher Corporation / Cytiva (Whatman brand)(DHR)

HQ US35% share

Washington DC-based conglomerate that owns Cytiva (Whatman brand — nitrocellulose membranes, glass fiber pads), IDT (oligonucleotide probes), and Pall Corporation (filtration). Controls an extraordinary concentration of IVD supply chain chokepoints through acquisitions across multiple independent critical nodes.

Merck KGaA (MilliporeSigma in US)(MRK)

HQ DE15% share

German multinational producing the Hi-Flow Plus nitrocellulose membrane — one of the two industry-standard LFA membranes globally. Received a €121M US DoD/HHS contract to build the first US lateral flow membrane facility in Sheboygan, WI (2022) to reduce concentration risk in Cork, Ireland.

Ahlstrom (Ahlstrom-Munksjö)

HQ FI12% share

Finnish specialty fiber and filtration materials company; merged with Munksjö 2017; produces ReliaFlow™ conjugate pads (8980, 6614) for lateral flow immunoassays; serves infectious disease, pregnancy, drugs-of-abuse, food safety, veterinary, and environmental LFA markets; major European alternative to Whatman/Cytiva glass fiber pads

Advanced Microdevices Pvt. Ltd. (AMD)

HQ IN5% share

India-based LFA component manufacturer headquartered in Ambala Cantt, Haryana; produces glass fiber conjugate pads, nitrocellulose membranes, and full LFA component kits; key regional supplier for Asia-Pacific diagnostic test developers; lower-cost alternative to Cytiva/Whatman for developing-market IVD manufacturers

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