Biofluid Proteomics Using the Ceres Nanotrap

Deep Plasma Proteomics: The "Discovery" Option

The UC Davis Proteomics Core now offers high-depth plasma profiling using Ceres Nanotrap® technology. Get Olink-scale discovery (~3,000 proteins) at a fraction of the cost.

How It Works: The Ceres Nanotrap®

Standard plasma proteomics struggles with the "dynamic range" problem: 99% of your sample is just Albumin and Immunoglobulins, which mask the rare biomarkers you actually want to see.

The Solution: We utilize Ceres Nanotrap® particles. These are hydrogel "cages" functionalized with high-affinity chemical baits. When mixed with plasma, they perform three critical functions:

✔ Capture & Concentrate: They rapidly bind low-abundance proteins (cytokines, kinases, transcription factors).
✔ Exclude the Noise: Large, high-abundance proteins like Albumin are physically excluded from the hydrogel matrix.
✔ Protect: The hydrogel shell protects fragile biomarkers from enzymatic degradation, preserving the sample state.

Pilot Study Results

In our validation of 5 human plasma samples, we achieved:

3,176 Total Proteins Identified

3,000+ Low-Abundance Targets

Fig 1: Deep Coverage. Unlike standard methods that hit a wall after the top 500 proteins, the Nanotrap workflow digs deep into the proteome, capturing over 3,000 proteins across 5 orders of magnitude.

Cost Comparison: The "Discovery" Advantage

Researchers often face a choice: spend their budget on a comprehensive expensive panel (like Olink Explore) or a limited cheap panel. Our service bridges this gap.

Platform	Protein Count	Est. Market Price*	UCD Core Price	Cost Efficiency
UCD Nanotrap Discovery	~3,200	—	$210	$0.07 / protein
Competitor "Explore" (High-Plex)	~3,000	$700 - $900	—	$0.25 / protein
Competitor "Target 96" (Low-Plex)	96	$80 - $100	—	$0.90 / protein

*Market prices based on average external service provider rates. Actual costs may vary.

The Bottom Line: For the price of running ~200 targeted proteins elsewhere, we give you 3,000 proteins. This makes our service the ideal "triage" step for pilot studies before committing to expensive targeted validation.

What Can You Detect?

This is not just a list of proteins; it is a snapshot of functional biology. Our validation study detected markers spanning critical pathways:

Inflammation & Immunity: We detected CRP (C-Reactive Protein), suPAR (Chronic Inflammation), and receptors for IL-6 and TNF.
Oxidative Stress: Full coverage of antioxidant enzymes including GPX3, SOD3, and 6 isoforms of Peroxiredoxin.
Tissue Damage: Sensitive leakage markers including Myosin, Troponin, and Lactate Dehydrogenase (LDH).
Cellular Signaling: Over 140 Kinases identified, offering potential for liquid biopsy applications.

Start Your Discovery Project

Don't guess which markers to measure—measure them all.