Quantifying the Unseen: Tackling Low-Abundance Biomarkers with the Ella System
"The Ella system is a valuable tool for supporting our clients’ clinical programs. It’s robust, reliable, and helps us deliver high-quality results faster and with greater confidence."
- Dr. John Canfield, PhD, Associate Director of Lab Sciences, Immunologix Laboratories
In today’s fast-moving therapeutic landscape, drug developers depend on accurate biomarker insights to guide decision-making, from early discovery through late-stage clinical trials. For contract research organizations (CROs), delivering that data with speed, precision, and regulatory rigor is both a responsibility and a competitive edge.
Immunologix Laboratories, a specialized CRO based in the U.S., supports this mission by offering GLP- and GCP-compliant biomarker and bioanalytical services across a wide spectrum of modalities—from biologics and gene therapies to nucleic acid-based treatments.
At the helm of the biomarker division is Dr. John Canfield, Associate Director of Lab Sciences. Dr. Canfield leads a team responsible for shaping scientific strategy and managing operational execution across a broad portfolio of clinical programs. Whether supporting early-phase studies or large-scale trials, the team’s focus remains the same: delivering reliable, high-quality data that sponsors can trust.
Boosting Biomarker Precision
One recurring challenge across these programs is the reliable detection of low-abundance biomarkers—molecules often tightly regulated and present at levels below the sensitivity range of traditional plate-based ELISAs. For Dr. Canfield and his team, this posed a barrier to delivering the high-confidence data their clients rely on.
To address this gap, Immunologix turned to the Ella™ system and its Simple Plex™ assay technology—bringing both higher sensitivity and operational efficiency to their biomarker workflows.
Faster Data, Greater Confidence
Since implementing Ella, the biomarker team has experienced two major improvements. First is throughput. Traditional ELISA workflows typically limited a single scientist’s daily sample processing to around 90–120. With Ella’s semi-automated, high-throughput system, that number has jumped to over 200 samples per day.
Second is data quality. “The assay precision we get with Simple Plex assays consistently outperforms our plate-based assays,” says Dr. Canfield. “It’s improved our reliability and reduced variability across runs, which is critical for supporting reproducible and confident decision-making.”
Although the team’s data is proprietary, Dr. Canfield emphasizes the practical impact: “Ella enables us to reliably quantify biomarkers that were previously difficult to measure, which strengthens the quality of our client deliverables.”
Advancing Therapeutics, One Data Point at a Time
As the Ella system’s multiplexing capabilities expand, Dr. Canfield sees its role at Immunologix continuing to grow. The ability to detect multiple biomarkers simultaneously in a compact, low-volume format is a strong fit for the evolving needs of biomarker science.
“Our work supports life-saving therapeutics,” he says. “By helping our clients generate better data faster, Ella contributes to something bigger—improving lives around the world.”