The UK DRI Biomarker Factory lab has the capacity to support biomarker measurement projects of various scales, from small to large-scale studies involving 5000 or more samples. Equipped with cutting-edge technology and expert team, the lab extends its services both internally within the UK DRI and externally to academic and industrial partners. The team welcome visitors to the lab and if biomarker studies are a part of a PhD/Post Doc project they can assist to enable participation in the project, space in the lab permitting.
Quanterix Simoa technology
Equipment
- Quanterix Simoa x 4
The UK DRI Biomarker Factory is the most experienced academic facility in the UK in employing the latest Quanterix Simoa technology. This technology, recognised as the gold standard for biomarker measurements, surpasses the Limit of Quantification (LoQ) of traditional analog methods, allowing for precise quantification of proteins at far lower concentrations. Equipped with 4 Quanterix Simoa HD-X instruments, the lab conducts fully automated ultrasensitive fluid biomarker measurements on human or animal CSF, plasma, or serum samples. These instruments have sensitivity levels up to 1000-times greater than traditional immunoassays.
- Quanterix SR-X x 1
The facility has the Quanterix SR-X benchtop platform offering a more flexible solution than the Quanterix Simoa HD-X, particularly valuable for new assay validation.
- Olink x 1
The laboratory has recently acquired the Olink instrument, which incorporates Proximity Extension Assay (PEA) technology. This cutting-edge approach enables high-throughput, multiplex immunoassays of proteins using minimal volumes of serum, plasma and other types of biofluid samples. The multiplex panels facilitate the measurement of over 90 proteins in a single sample and can be used for exploratory investigations. Additionally, Olink provides researchers with the flexibility to create customised panels tailored to their specific research projects.
- Alamar ARGO NULISA platform x 1
The NULISA™ Platform and ARGO™ HT System set a new standard in proteomic analysis by combining unprecedented sensitivity with multiplexing. Protein biomarkers including pTau217, NFL, GFAP, Ab40, Ab42 & TDP43 can now be detected and quantified with attomolar sensitivity from just 25uL of sample input. The NULISAseq™ CNS Disease Panel 120 combines sensitivity with multiplexing to enable analysis of 120+ key markers associated with neurological diseases, inflammation, and synaptic and vascular biology to be profiled in a single, fully automated assay that can be run in less than a day.
By leveraging a proprietary sequential immunocomplex capture and release mechanism and the latest advances in Next-Generation Sequencing (NGS), the NULISA technology provides ultra-high sensitivity, scalable multiplexing and a fully-automated workflow to support your project needs.
- Meso Scale Discovery & ELISA platforms
Alongside the Quanterix Simoa and Olink platforms, the laboratory has additional technologies that offer a broader spectrum for biomarker analysis. These include ultrasensitive Single Molecule Counting (SMCxPRO) from Merck, the Meso Scale Discovery instruments from MSD recognised for their sensitivity through electrochemiluminescence-based assay, Luminex technology, as well as traditional ELISA platforms which provide a cost-effective method for biomarker measurement.