Customized Olink Flex – Fully Customizable Protein Panels for Precision Research

Unlock the next level of biomarker profiling with Olink Flex. This platform allows you to design bespoke protein panels by selecting biomarkers most relevant to your research focus. Whether you're studying inflammation, immuno-oncology, or cytokine signaling, Olink Flex provides unmatched flexibility while maintaining the precision of Olink's proven PEA technology.

Tailored panels: Select up to 21 proteins from Olink's 200+ validated assays
Minimal sample input: Only 1–3 μL per assay
Cross-species compatibility: Validated for human, with demonstrated performance in mouse and rat

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Olink Flex Panels at Creative Proteomics

What Is Olink Flex
Panel Options
Workflow
Why Choose Us
Sample Requirements
Demo
FAQ

What Is Olink Flex?

Olink Flex is a modular proteomics platform designed for scientists who need precision and adaptability. Instead of forcing your study into a rigid framework, Olink Flex lets you assemble your own biomarker panel—selecting only the proteins that matter most to your research.

Built on Proximity Extension Assay (PEA) technology, Olink Flex ensures that each custom panel delivers highly specific, ultra-sensitive detection. The system relies on a dual-antibody binding mechanism paired with DNA barcoding, which means both antibodies must bind to the same target before the signal is amplified. This virtually eliminates off-target noise and ensures your data is clean, reproducible, and trustworthy.

The platform is validated across human, mouse, and rat samples, making it suitable for a wide range of studies—from basic research and biomarker discovery to drug development and translational studies. With its flexibility, Olink Flex adapts to emerging hypotheses, shifting study priorities, and exploratory research, ensuring your proteomics strategy keeps pace with your science.

our own protein panel without compromising assay sensitivity or data quality.

Ultra-low sample requirement – saves valuable clinical or preclinical material
Custom assay design – focus on proteins relevant to your hypothesis
Translational power – validated for diverse sample matrices and model systems

Explore Our Customized Olink Flex Panels

Our curated panel templates provide immediate access to high-value biomarker sets, which can then be customized further to match your study's exact needs.

Researchers can select from eight flexible, themed panels, each designed to address a different area of biology or disease research. Whether you need to map inflammatory cascades, track metabolic disruptions, or probe immune–tumor interactions, there's a panel foundation ready to be tailored.

Metabolism & Cardiometabolic

Olink Flex Customized UKB Type 2 Diabetes Panel

Biomarkers tied to metabolic pathways and diabetic risk.

Inflammation & Immune Response

Olink Flex Customized Inflammation Panel

Broad coverage of core inflammation mediators.

Olink Flex Customized Pro-inflammatory Response Panel

Cytokines and chemokines driving immune activation.

Olink Flex Customized Inflammation in Aging Panel

Markers of immunosenescence and chronic inflammation.

Olink Flex Customized Th1/Th2/Th17 Panel

Insights into helper T-cell differentiation and signalling.

Olink Flex Customized Cytokine Storm Panel

Proteins involved in severe systemic inflammation.

Olink Flex Customized IFN Stimulation Panel

Interferon signalling and antiviral response markers.

Oncology & Immuno-Oncology

Olink Flex Customized Immuno-Oncology Panel

Immune checkpoint and tumour microenvironment profiling.

Workflow

How Olink Flex Works

Why Choose Creative Proteomics for Your Research?

Traditional panels may include biomarkers you don't need—or miss the ones you do. Olink Flex solves this challenge by putting panel design in your hands:

Precision-targeted profiling: Choose only the proteins that matter to your study
Cost-efficient assays: Avoid unnecessary targets and save budget
Scalable format: Adapt your panel as your research evolves
Expert guidance: Our scientists help design panels that fit your exact goals
Comprehensive QC: Every run includes internal and external controls for data integrity
Fast turnaround: Efficient workflow ensures results align with your research timelines

From drug development programs to exploratory biomarker discovery, Olink Flex is ideal for academic labs, pharma, and biotech teams seeking highly focused, data-rich studies.

Sample Requirements for Olink Flex Panels

Olink Flex is designed to work with a range of biological materials while keeping sample needs minimal. Only 1–3 µL per selected assay is required, but we recommend shipping slightly more volume to support QC and potential reanalysis.

Sample Type	Volume per Panel	Matrix / Notes	Storage Conditions
Serum	Minimum 50 µL	Use clot activator tubes; avoid haemolysis	Store at −80 °C
Plasma	Minimum 50 µL	EDTA or heparin plasma preferred	Store at −80 °C
CSF (Cerebrospinal Fluid)	Minimum 50 µL	Collect under sterile conditions	Store at −80 °C
Cell Culture Supernatant	Minimum 50–100 µL	Clarify by centrifugation to remove debris	Store at −20 °C to −80 °C
Urine (optional)	Minimum 100 µL	Collect midstream, centrifuge before use	Store at −80 °C
Other Matrices	Case-by-case	Contact us for guidance (e.g. saliva, synovial fluid, tissue homogenates)	Store at −80 °C

Demo Results – Experience Real Olink Flex Data

To help you see what Olink Flex can deliver, we provide demo data generated using real biological samples on customized panels. These examples highlight how Flex produces high-resolution, reproducible biomarker insights across different study types.

Three key visualization formats:

Volcano Plots – quickly identify proteins with significant changes between experimental groups.
Heatmaps – reveal expression patterns and clustering across multiple samples.
Scatter Plots – confirm assay reproducibility and QC consistency.

What You'll See in the Data

Data Visualization	What It Shows	Why It Matters for Your Research
Volcano Plot	Up/down-regulated proteins plotted by statistical significance.	Pinpoint key biomarkers for follow-up validation.
Heatmap	Protein expression patterns across sample groups.	Uncover pathways or signatures linked to disease or treatment.
Scatter Plot	Correlation between assay replicates.	Confirms Olink Flex's precision and low technical variability.

Frequently Asked Questions (FAQ) – Olink Flex

Here are some common questions about Olink Flex, along with answers derived from official sources and expert summaries across platforms:

How many proteins can I select, and from what library?

You can choose 15–30 proteins per panel from a library of approximately 200 validated assays, with flexibility to combine markers from inflammation, immunology, oncology, neurology, and cardiometabolic fields for a personalized panel design.

What sample type and volume is required?

The platform is validated for EDTA-plasma and serum, and many other matrices like CSF, urine, synovial fluid, saliva, and cell lysates are compatible with proper validation.

Only ~1 µL of sample is needed for up to 21 proteins per panel (higher volumes recommended for QC and repeat testing).

Does Flex offer relative or absolute quantification?

Olink Flex supports both NPX (relative, log₂ scale) and absolute quantification (pg/mL). The format can be selected during panel design, depending on study requirements.

How is quality control handled and what are the validation standards?

Each Olink Flex run includes internal controls—Incubation, Extension, and Detection controls—spiked into all samples and external controls. Olink NPX Manager software processes QC, evaluates run and sample performance, and flags deviations (often >±0.3 NPX) for review. Panels are also validated across sites to ensure <10% intra/inter-CV.

What is NPX Manager and its role in data analysis?

Olink NPX Manager is the recommended software for importing, QC-checking, and normalising Olink Flex data. It provides plate-level and sample-level QC views and generates NPX values via a multi-step normalization procedure.

Can I combine panels or compare across studies/batches?

Yes—you can compare data across panels and batches using intensity-based normalization or by incorporating 8–16 bridging samples per run. This strategy helps reduce batch effects and supports cross-study comparability.

Is there cross-species support for preclinical models?

Olink Flex proteins are predominantly validated for human samples. While some cross-reactivity may occur in mouse or rat, species-specific panels (e.g. Mouse Exploratory) or bespoke selection from the Flex library are recommended for rigorous preclinical research.

What technical platform and software are used for Flex assays?

Olink Flex assays are run on the Olink Signature Q100 or Fluidigm BioMark HD instruments using qPCR readout. Data processing, normalization, and QC are managed with NPX Manager. Olink Insight platform is used for panel building and design interfaces

* For research purposes only, not intended for clinical diagnosis, treatment, or individual health assessments.

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