Thermo Fisher Scientific Olink platform selected for world’s largest human proteome study Investing.com
The UK Biobank Pharma Proteomics project aims to create a comprehensive map of disease-related protein levels in the human body to advance biomarker discovery
WALTHAM, Mass.–( BUSINESS WIRE )–Thermo Fisher Scientific Inc . (NYSE:™O), a world leader in science services, today announced that the UK Biobank Pharma Proteomics Project (UKB-PPP) has selected its Olink ® Explore Platform to support the world’s largest human proteomics study of its kind. UKB-PPP aims to analyze more than 5,400 proteins from 600,000 samples to drive the discovery of new protein biomarkers that can be used to predict, diagnose and treat disease.
Studies of the human proteome have a profound impact on our customers’ fundamental understanding of disease and the advancement of life science research, said Marc N. Casper, chairman, president and chief executive officer of Thermo Fisher. The unprecedented scale of this project, supported by our next-generation proteomics solution, highlights the potential to deepen their knowledge and develop new applications to improve human health.
The advancement of the Olink Explore platform, which is designed to enable in-depth analysis of thousands of proteins in the human body, gives researchers the ability to study their role in many types of diseases. Published studies in this emerging field, known as population proteomics, have shown potential protein signatures that may help advance the future of precision medicine.
Proteomics provides an incredibly detailed picture of health. This new frontier of science can reveal how genetics and external factors “such as diet, exercise and climate” interact and will help pinpoint the key causes of disease and identify drug targets, said Professor Naomi Allen, UK Biobank’s chief scientist. This has already led to important scientific discoveries, such as identifying proteins that can help diagnose diseases “including multiple sclerosis – and help identify those at higher risk of developing dementia and cancer many years before clinical diagnosis.” More than 19,000 researchers worldwide use UK Biobank data; Adding proteomic data to everything else we have will allow scientists to make rapid discoveries that will help diagnose and treat life-changing diseases.
The UKB-PPP is a collaboration between UK Biobank and 14 leading biopharmaceutical companies, with the aim of making important information about the human proteome available to UK Biobank-approved researchers worldwide. In turn, the data can be used to validate and identify new drug targets, improve diagnostics, and help accelerate drug target discovery to support the development of more effective and safer drugs.
UKB-PPP brings together scientists from the world’s leading pharmaceutical companies with the most advanced research technologies, said Chris Whelan, Ph.D., president and principal investigator of UKB-PPP. The success of projects of this size depends on partners who have the ability to scale reliably and efficiently. We are excited to once again have Thermo Fisher’s Olink platform as the supporting proteomics technology to drive this study.
The UKB-PPP is based on findings published in 2023 from the pilot project, which also used the Olink Explore platform to analyze more than 54,000 samples from the UK Biobank. The research was first published in Nature in October 2023 and has already been cited more than 400 times, laying the groundwork for scientists to better understand how and why diseases develop and to advance targeted treatment. One study, published in Nature Communications, used data from a pilot study to identify protein risk factors for certain types of cancer up to seven years before diagnosis.
The UKB-PPP is due to start in the first quarter of 2025, with plans to make the proteomic data available to UK Biobank-approved researchers in incremental releases starting in 2026, followed by the complete data set in 2027. The UKB-PPP will initially analyze more than 5,400 proteins from 300,000 samples and seek additional funding to analyze an additional 300,000 samples, bringing the total number for the project 600,000 samples.
Acquired by Thermo Fisher in July 2024, the Olink proteomics platform is a next-generation proteomics solution that enables researchers to measure more than 5,400 proteins with high specificity, speed and flexibility to study complex biological processes.
To learn more about the Olink platform, visit www.thermofisher.com/olink
About Thermo Fisher Scientific
Thermo Fisher Scientific Inc (NYSE:). (NYSE: ™O) is a world leader in science, with annual revenue of over $40 billion. Our mission is to enable our customers to make the world healthier, cleaner and safer. Whether our clients are accelerating life science research, solving complex analytical challenges, increasing productivity in their laboratories, improving patient health through diagnostics, or developing and manufacturing life-changing therapies, we are here to support them. Our global team provides an unmatched combination of innovative technologies, purchasing convenience and pharmaceutical services through our industry-leading brands, including Thermo Scientific, Applied Biosystems, Invitrogen, Fisher Scientific, Unity Lab Services, Patheon and PPD (NASDAQ:). For more information, visit www.thermofisher.com.
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Source: Thermo Fisher Scientific Inc.
