Proteomics

Proteins are a basic building block of life on earth. They are the molecules that provide structure, produce energy, and allow communication, movement and reproduction within a cell. They, along with carbohydrates, amino acids, and phospholipids, are the key macromolecules that make up organisms. The body of proteins that make up an organism is referred to as its proteome. Proteomics is the study of these proteomes, including the identification of the proteins and their physiological functions.
The study of proteomics had declined in recent years, but the inception of the Human Genome Project ten years ago revived interest for many researchers. Since then, the proteomes of numerous organisms have been determined. The Human Genome Project determined that the human body contains 30,000 genes. This translates to anywhere from 300,000 to one million possible proteins. The importance of proteomics largely lies in drug design and synthesis. Hopefully, new disease markers and d...