Aptamers in R&D: versatile tools for discovery and development

Aptamers are often discussed as future diagnostic or therapeutic molecules, but they can also be valuable research tools throughout the R&D process. Their specific molecular recognition, synthetic production and easy chemical modification make them useful for capturing, detecting, profiling and studying biological targets.

A striking example is proteomics. SomaLogic’s SomaScan platform uses modified DNA aptamers as affinity reagents and can currently perform around 11,000 protein measurements from only 55 µL of sample. This allows researchers to explore disease pathways, identify potential biomarkers and investigate new therapeutic targets at very large scale.

Aptamers can also be immobilized on surfaces or beads for target capture, separation and purification. Their small size and straightforward chemical modification make them well suited to affinity-based workflows involving proteins, cells and even small molecules.

Their role can extend beyond endpoint assays. In 2024, researchers reported six genetically encoded aptamer biosensorsable to monitor specific drugs inside living cells and visualize drug distribution in zebrafish over time. This illustrates how aptamers can become dynamic tools for studying biological processes rather than simply detecting a molecule once.

For R&D teams, the opportunity is broad: aptamers can support biomarker discovery, target validation, affinity capture, assay development, cell characterization, imaging and functional studies. They do not need to replace antibodies everywhere. Their value lies in providing an additional, programmable class of affinity reagent that can be developed around the needs of a particular experiment.

Further reading: SomaScan platform · Aptamers in biosensors and separations · Live-cell aptamer biosensors, 2024