Ensuring reproducibility in proteomics: Why coefficient of variation is a critical metric

The SomaScan® Assay from SomaLogic is the only proteomic technology capable of measuring thousands of proteins while achieving a high throughput with high reproducibility. The platform is powered by chemically modified DNA aptamers called SOMAmer® Reagents. SOMAmer Reagents consist of short single-stranded DNA sequences that incorporate hydrophobic modifications, greatly expanding the physiochemical diversity of the large randomized nucleic acid libraries from which the SOMAmer Reagents are selected. The performance metrics for all SOMAmer Reagents in human serum and plasma are provided via the SomaScan Assay online menu tool at menu.somalogic.com. Although SomaLogic’s core features (high specificity, sensitivity, and reproducibility) are the main reasons the SomaScan Platform is utilized from biomarker discovery to clinical diagnosis, the power of its low coefficients of variation (CVs) is underappreciated. The SomaScan Assay has maintained a median CV of ~5%, which results in the ability to detect smaller biological changes with higher study power compared to other proteomic technologies. The following discussion captures the vast benefits of low CVs, as well as the specific value of the unrivaled SomaScan Platform CVs.