You're (not even you, your lab is) paying for niche, specialized, professional software - it's not "accounting software" or "photo software" or "chat software".

You're (not even you, your lab is) paying for niche, specialized, professional software - it's not "accounting software" or "photo software" or "chat software". Out of curiosity, how much do you expect professional "genetic engineering software" to cost? Between $270-700 for a permanent license seems like a pretty good deal to me.