A new study by researchers at Oxford Population Health directly compares over 2,000 proteins measured using both Olink and SomaScan proteomic assay platforms in adults from the China Kadoorie Biobank. The results of this study will help researchers when considering which assays to use in future proteomics studies, and how to interpret their results. The study is published in Nature Communications.
Proteomics technology enables the efficient measurement of many thousands of proteins simultaneously, using small amounts of biological samples such as blood plasma. These measurements can be done on a large scale, and can provide important insights into health status and the biological mechanisms involved in causing disease. Proteomic studies can also help identify new drug targets for different diseases.
In a joint study by researchers from Oxford Population Health, and Peking University in China, blood plasma levels of 2,168 proteins were measured in 3,976 Chinese adults using both the Olink Explore and SomaScan assay platforms. The researchers identified genetic and non-genetic determinants of the protein levels, and compared the associations of the proteins with ischaemic heart disease risk.
Dr Baihan Wang, lead author and Early Career Research Fellow at Oxford Population Health, said ‘Comparing protein measures from two important high-throughput technologies can help us to understand how these assay methods can be applied to research in large cohort studies such as China Kadoorie Biobank. Our direct comparisons will help researchers to design and interpret the results of future proteomics studies.’
Read the full story on the Nuffield Department of Population Health website.