How to choose the right proteomics panel for your research?

Proteomics has evolved into a central pillar of population health research. By capturing hundreds or even thousands of proteins in a single assay, proteomics helps to uncover molecular biomarkers from the earliest disease process to clinical endpoints. With several proteomics assays now available, each with unique advantages and limitations, researchers face the challenge of determining which panel fits their study design and funding resources.

Strategic approaches to proteomics

Modern proteomics strategies often fall into two broad categories. Some studies aim for large‑scale discovery work, where the goal is to measure thousands of proteins spanning nearly every physiological pathway. This is particularly valuable when working with multi-disease cohorts and when several research groups utilize the same dataset for different study questions.

Other studies focus more on specific disease areas. Here, the priority is sensitivity rather than breadth. Many proteins relevant to neurological or inflammatory diseases exist at very low concentrations in plasma, and ultra-sensitive assays are needed to measure them reliably. For these applications, smaller panels with highly optimized analytical performance can provide data that broader assays cannot detect. The two strategies are complemental and ideally researchers would opt for both, but constraints of research funding often make this prohibitively expensive. 

Comparing the proteomics panels offered by Nightingale Health

Alamar NULISAseq Neuro 220 Panel

The brand new NULISA Neuro panel includes 220 proteins that capture all the key hallmarks of neurodegeneration. This panel stands out due to its exceptional ability to detect biomarkers such as brain-derived phosphorylated tau and other emerging biomarkers for Alzheimer’s disease. These biomarkers can identify individuals at elevated risk of dementia more than a decade before symptom onset. In head‑to‑head comparisons, the panel’s performance matches leading single plex assays, yet it offers broader neurological pathway coverage in a single measurement. For research on dementia, Parkinson’s disease, traumatic brain injury, multiple sclerosis, gliomas and as well brain aging, this panel is a must have because it provides the molecular resolution that broader proteomics panels cannot match.

Alamar NULISA Inflammation Panel 250

The NULISA Inflammation panel focuses on proteins central to immune activation and inflammatory disease processes. Many of these proteins, including several interleukins, appear in plasma at extremely low concentrations and are not possible to measure accurately by other proteomics assays. This makes the panel well suited for research on autoimmune diseases, cancers, and any disease with an inflammatory basis. Of particular relevance for profiling clinical trials, an absolute quantitation variant of the NULISA inflammation panel is also available.

Olink Reveal 

Olink Reveal includes roughly 1,000 proteins, chosen as a subset of the broader Explore HT panel. The proteins included on the Reveal panel are chosen for their robust detectability and disease relevance across a variety of research domains. The Olink Reveal panel maintain meaningful breadth while providing a more cost-efficient entry point for proteomics studies. It is particularly suited in studies where researchers want broad coverage that still maintains data quality, but where budget constraints prevent broader panels. 

Olink Explore HT 

Olink Explore HT provides the widest proteomic coverage, measuring up to 5,400 proteins. The assay spans almost all major biological pathways, from immune function and metabolism to developmental biology, cancer, and neurological processes. Olink Explore HT is ideal for investigations where researchers need proteome-wide information, such as gene–protein mapping, and multi-disease studies. Although its protein coverage is impressive, it comes with a higher cost per sample than other assays and does not always deliver sufficient sensitivity for low-abundance biomarkers. Some proteins included on the panel may also show poor detectability in general population samples, meaning that even though they are “on the panel”, they may not contribute usable data for epidemiological work. Olink Explore HT therefore shines in broad‑based discovery settings but may be less ideal when a study depends on precise quantification of specific proteins.

Nightingale Health’s NMR-based metabolomics

Metabolomics is a cost-effective complement to any proteomics assay. The Nightingale NMR platform measures a wide set of metabolic biomarkers that capture systemic physiology and overall metabolic health. Combining metabolomics with proteomics provides a rich foundation for examining molecular mechanisms underlying multimorbidity, aging, lifestyle exposures, and vascular health. This integration allows researchers to examine how vascular processes interact with inflammation and neurodegeneration across the life course. 

Which panel should you choose?

• Alamar NULISAseq Neuro 220 Panel is the optimal choice for brain health research due to its proven high sensitivity for the most important biomarkers.
• Alamar NULISAseq Inflammation Panel 250 is ideal for studies of disease with an inflammatory component.
• Olink Reveal provides broad yet cost-efficient protein coverage.
• Olink Explore HT is ideal for broad, agnostic discovery and multi-disease research.
• Combining proteomics with NMR metabolomics delivers the deepest mechanistic understanding and is especially useful in vascular and neurological research.

Want to know more?

The Nightingale Health team is happy to discuss your research aims and which panel best suits your study design. Reach us at research@nightingalehealth.com.

Read more and find biomarker list for each panel on our proteomics webpage.

To get a quote for our analysis services submit a quotation request form.