Proteomics Technology - A Powerful Tool for the Biomedical Scientists

Proteomics refers to the systematic analysis of proteins. It complements other "omics" technologies such as genomics and transcriptomics in elucidating the identity of proteins of an organism, and understanding their functions. Proteomics is used in many areas of research such as discovery of markers for diagnosis and vaccine candidates, understanding pathogenic mechanisms, in the study of expression patterns at different time points and in response to different stimuli, and in elucidating functional protein networks. Proteomics analysis involves sample preparation, protein separation and protein identification. The 'heart' of current proteomics is mass-spectrometry, with LC-MS/MS and MALDI-TOF/TOF being commonly used equipment. However, the high costs of the equipment, software, databases and the need for skilled personnel limit the wide utilization of this technology in the less developed countries. Therefore, there need to be sharing of facilities, better networking and collaborations among our scientists and laboratories to take advantage of this powerful technology.