National-scale initiative will profile ~21,000 plasma samples from 10,000 Alzheimer’s Disease and Related Dementias (ADRD) participants using Alamar Biosciences' NULISAseq™ Neuro 220 panel.
Resulting dataset will be publicly accessible, linked through National Alzheimer’s Coordinating Center IDs and open to AI-driven discovery through a national data challenge.
Project is part of the Consortium for Clarity in ADRD Research Through Imaging (CLARiTI) portfolio, leveraging academic, philanthropic, and data-sharing partnerships for large-scale biomarker discovery.
FREMONT, Calif., July 13, 2026 (GLOBE NEWSWIRE) -- Alamar Biosciences, Inc. (Nasdaq: ALMR), a leader in precision proteomics dedicated to advancing the early detection of disease, today announced a partnership with leading research universities to launch a national-scale proteomics initiative using Alamar Biosciences’ NULISAseq Neuro 220 panel to accelerate biomarker discovery and validation for Alzheimer’s disease and related neurodegenerative conditions.
The project is co-led by professors Sarah Biber, PhD, at Washington University in St. Louis; Sterling Johnson, PhD, at the University of Wisconsin; and Tatiana Foroud, PhD, director of the National Centralized Repository for Alzheimer’s Disease and Related Dementias (NCRAD) at Indiana University. The project will generate large-scale plasma proteomic data from approximately 21,000 samples collected from 10,000 Alzheimer’s Disease Research Center (ADRC) participants across the United States. Samples are stored at NCRAD, providing a centralized national infrastructure for coordinated access and biomarker generation at scale.
Profiling will use Alamar Biosciences’ NULISAseq™ Neuro 220 panel, enhanced with a newly added eMTBR-Tau assay that enables simultaneous blood-based representation of tau tangle burden alongside a broad panel of neurodegeneration and neuroinflammation biomarkers. The panel also offers the largest number of brain-derived Tau targets along with assays relevant to alpha-synuclein biology and other protein aggregation markers, creating a unique opportunity to study multiple neurodegenerative disease pathways in the same deeply characterized participants.
"Our precision proteomics platform is designed to give researchers the ability to measure hundreds of low-abundance proteins from blood with attomolar sensitivity, at scale, and across highly multiplexed panels,” said Dr. Yuling Luo, founder, chief executive officer and chair of Alamar. “Applying that capability to a cohort of this size will give researchers access to a deeply multiplexed, clinically anchored proteomic dataset that can support discovery, validation, and translational research across a range of neurodegenerative diseases. We see this as a major step toward understanding the full biological complexity of neurodegenerative disease."
The project is part of the CLARiTI portfolio and leverages its infrastructure to support coordinated sample access and harmonized data workflows. The effort has been advanced through sustained partnerships with the Alzheimer’s Association, the Robertson Foundation, an anonymous foundation, and important implementation and data-sharing support from the Alzheimer’s Disease Data Initiative. All data generated through the initiative will be made freely available to the global research community.
A central goal is the creation of an open, publicly accessible proteomic dataset linked to National Alzheimer’s Coordinating Center (NACC) IDs. This linkage will allow researchers to connect the new proteomic profiles with rich longitudinal data available through the ADRC Program, including clinical, cognitive, neuroimaging, genetic, genomic, fluid biomarker, and neuropathology data. AI and computational teams will apply multimodal approaches for disease classification, biomarker discovery, and prediction of neurodegenerative disease progression. The next phase of the project will include a national data challenge inviting the broader research community to develop and test new analytical methods using this resource.
“This effort is designed to move the field from single-disease models toward a more comprehensive understanding of the biological processes that contribute to mild cognitive impairment and dementia,” said Dr. Sterling Johnson. “Because ADRCs across the United States enroll and study diverse research participants, this multi-site cohort aligns well with the study’s scientific objectives. By generating an open, national-scale resource and engaging leading AI and computational teams, we also hope to accelerate discovery and create tools that ultimately improve diagnosis, treatment development, and patient care.”
About Alamar Biosciences
Alamar is a commercial-stage proteomics company establishing a gold standard in protein detection and analysis. Leveraging our proprietary NULISA™ technology and the ARGO™ HT System, our platform is designed to detect protein biomarkers at extremely low concentrations in blood with ultra-high sensitivity, high specificity, flexible multiplexing, broad dynamic range, and seamless automation. We refer to this combination of features as “Precision Proteomics,” and believe it fills a critical gap in the field of advanced proteomics, helping researchers unlock the full spectrum of protein biomarkers across disease states. Learn more at alamarbio.com.