The aim is to analyse 50,000 samples using Illumina Protein Prep
Proteomics, the study of proteins and their cellular activities, enables researchers to understand the role of proteins in health and disease and can facilitate biomarker discovery for conditions such as cancer and cardiovascular disease.
Such useful information is being harnessed by laboratories worldwide to advance medical research. Thermo Fisher Scientific, for example, recently launched Olink Reveal, a research tool enabling the identification of circulating biomarkers.
Another company seeking proteomic insights is American biotechnology Illumina.
Illumina has recently launched a pilot proteomics programme to analyse 50,000 UK Biobank samples alongside Decode Genetics, Standard BioTools, Tecan, GSK, Johnson & Johnson, and Novartis.
The pilot programme is based on Illumina’s upcoming proteomic assay Illumina Protein Prep. This assay is powered by Slow Off-rate Modified Aptamers (Somamer) technology, a solution to help scale access to proteomic insights.
"UK Biobank data has set the standard as a reference dataset for the omics community, and we're excited to collaborate across the health care industry in this pilot study as we prepare to launch Illumina Protein Prep," said Illumina chief technology officer Dr Steve Barnard.
"We believe the pilot program will generate a new collection of high-quality, NGS-based proteomics data for the research community and pharma partners to advance biological insights."
UK Biobank will provide 50,000 samples and Decode Genetics will process the samples using the Illumina Protein Prep solution and NovaSeq X Plus system and run analysis using the Dragen Protein Qualification pipeline.
The Illumina Protein Prep assay detects 9,000 unique human proteins powered by 11,000 Somamer reagents, enabling sample-to-analysis proteomics discovery studies. While this solution has been an early access limited release, it will fully launch during the first half of 2025.
"This addition of increasingly rich proteomics data will help researchers paint an even more dynamic picture of how an individual's genetics, environment and lifestyle come together to impact the development of different diseases,” said UK Biobank principal investigator and chief executive professor Sir Rory Collins.
The data generated from the first 30,000 samples will be made available by UK Biobank immediately upon completion. As per standard practice, the data generated from the following 20,000 samples will have a period of exclusive access for industry consortium members before being released to the wider scientific community.
