Building the future of proteomics
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Scientists often describe DNA as the blueprint of life. If this is true, then proteins are the bricks, mortar, timber, glass, cables, pipes, plaster and paint. And just as you study the blueprints with genetics and genomics, you study these building materials with proteomics.
The field has a storied history, but its contemporary practice relies heavily on one platform technology– mass spectrometry– whose cost and complexity are often viewed as barriers and whose utility can be significantly limited with certain sample types.
These issues provide opportunities for more effective means of uncovering protein information using alternative proteomic technologies. Recognising this, AGRF has expanded into proteomics with the adoption of one such technology: Olink.
A unique mixture of proteomic and genomic techniques underpins Olink, with the key ingredient being complementary oligonucleotide sequences bound to specific protein targeting antibody pairs. When the antibodies attach to their specific protein, the complementary sequences are brought into proximity and bind together. These sequences are then expanded and measured. The more sequences detected, the more target protein there is. Combine many thousands of these unique protein-targeting antibody pairs into a panel, and you’re able to simultaneously measure the concentration of many thousands of proteins in biological samples. “Expanding into proteomics with Olink enables AGRF to bridge the gap between genomics and proteomics, offering new ways to explore complex biological systems,” says Cath Moore, Chief Scientific Officer at AGRF.
Under our Certified Service Provider status, AGRF currently offers two Olink workflows: Explore HT and Explore 3072. These differ in how many unique proteins are measured (5,416 and 3,072 respectively), but both are purpose built for discovery proteomics using plasma and serum, a problematic sample type for mass spectrometry yet highly important for its diverse and clinically relevant protein content.
Looking ahead to FY25, we will complement our proteomic capabilities by introducing the Olink Signature Q100 platform, enabling the use of Olink Target 96 and 48 workflows. This addition will provide researchers with both absolute and relative quantitative proteomic data, accelerating biomarker identification and validation from early discovery through to clinical implementation and disease risk prediction. This powerful tool will support groundbreaking research across key areas of human health and disease, including cancer, cardiovascular diseases, and immune disorders.
By consequence, the applications of Olink are numerous: academic research teasing apart disease mechanisms, clinical research assessing the impacts of drug intervention, and commercial screening for biomarkers to develop novel diagnostic or prognostic tests are all demonstrable examples of the workflow’s utility, and of proteomics in general.
It is a very exciting time for proteomics and with its expertise in molecular science, network of collaborators, and appetite for novel technologies, AGRF is well positioned to deliver proteomic services to its academic and industry partners.
