Mission

The mission of the Affinity Proteomics Core is to facilitate proteomic discoveries by providing Boston Children's investigators with access to state-of-the-art affinity proteomic techniques. The Core will provide comprehensive service for Olink midplex studies from consultation of study design to data release. 

The Olink Technology

Affinity proteomics use specific binding molecules such as antibodies and aptamers to study target proteins within complex biological samples. Olink is a recently described affinity proteomics platform that utilizes paired antibodies with proximity extension assay to quantify protein analytes from a small volume of biological fluid (~1 uL) with higher sensitivity and specificity compared to ELISA and other multiplex technology. This technology provides reliable measurements for plasma proteins such as cytokines and other inflammatory mediators from plasma / serum, nasal fluid, tear, urine, culture media, and tissue lysates. Unlike most other proteomic approaches, Olink Target-48 and Flex panels provide absolute quantification that facilitates longitudinal comparison.

Schematic of Olink proximity extension assay for protein quantification. Plasma or serum is injected to antibody 1 and antibody 2 target leading to incubation and binding, extension and pre-amplification, and finally amplification.
Schematic of Olink proximity extension assay for protein quantification.

Current offerings

We will provide free consultation for each study to discuss study design, sample type, panel choices, and estimated timeline based on the number of studies in queue. Please see Service section for full details. 

The Core will provide comprehensive service including reagent kits for the following Olink panels:

  1. Target-48 Human Cytokine panel (40 samples per plate)
  2. Target-48 Human Immunosurveillance panel (40 samples per plate) 
  3. Target-48 Mouse Cytokine panel (40 samples per plate)

The Core will provide service for the following Olink panels with kits provided by Investigators:

  1. Olink Flex panels (customized selection of up to 31 analytes; 40 samples per plate)
  2. Target-48 Human Neurodegeneration panel (40 samples per plate)
  3. Target-96 panels (88 samples per plate)

Contact

Pui Y. Lee MD PhD, Core Director 
AffinityProteomics@childrens.harvard.edu 
Phone: 617-919-5008

Location

1 Blackfan Circle, Karp Research Building 10th Floor RB-10006A, Boston, MA 02115

Hours

Monday to Friday, 9am – 5 PM