Project Goal

To develop a biomarker discovery platform to look for diagnostic, prognostic, and theranostic markers in biofluids or tissues using high throughput multiplexed mass spectrometry systems.

The Challenges

• Ensuring the whole pipeline is in place from excellent sample collection in the clinic through to good informatic assessment of data acquired
• Current timescale for development of a clinical biomarker is around 12 years- there is a real need to develop approaches to cut this down to give a clear line of sight to clinical decision pathways

The Solution

• High throughput proteomics “factory” consisting of 8 x TripleTOF® 6600 systems configured for microflow proteomics
• SWATH® Acquisition for the generation of reproducible, comprehensive quantitative “maps” of clinical samples
• QTRAP® 6500 systems implemented in a GCLP laboratory to allow for verification and validation studies
• Automated sample preparation using the Beckman NXP liquid handling platform

The Outcomes

• Factory setup allows large scale research on a number of projects in parallel including biomarker research in a variety of disease areas including dementia, inflammatory disease, and cancer allowing potentrial biomarkers to be discovered with very high combinations of sensitivity and specificity
• Delivery of large cohort studies - for example a recent longitudinal ovarian cancer study where 1200 samples were analysed in triplicate, producing 3600 data “maps” using SWATH Acquisition