Proteomics

Proteomics is the large-scale study of proteins, including their identities, structures, abundance, modifications, interactions, and functions. It examines how protein properties vary across cells, organisms, and conditions.

Mass spectrometry: An analytical technique that identifies and measures molecules by their mass-to-charge ratios. It is the main platform for identifying and quantifying proteins in complex samples.
Protein: A molecule made of one or more chains of amino acids that performs structural, catalytic, regulatory, or other cellular roles. Proteomics measures the molecules that define its subject.
Biomarker: A measurable biological characteristic that indicates a physiological state, disease, or response to an intervention. Protein measurements can reveal candidate indicators of disease or treatment response.
Genomics: The study of an organism's complete set of DNA, including genes and their organization. Genomes indicate potential protein production, not the proteins actually present.
Dynamic range problem: The challenge of measuring biological molecules whose abundances span an exceptionally wide range. Highly abundant proteins can mask scarce proteins in many samples.
Tandem mass spectrometry: Mass spectrometry that fragments selected ions and measures the resulting products to infer molecular structure. Peptide-fragment spectra help identify proteins after enzymatic digestion.
Peptide: A short chain of amino acids linked by peptide bonds. Protein digestion produces peptides that are commonly identified by mass spectrometry.
Clinical proteomics: The application of proteomic methods to diagnosis, prognosis, and treatment decisions in human health care. It translates protein measurements into clinically relevant evidence.
Transcriptomics: The large-scale study of RNA transcripts produced by cells or organisms. RNA abundance often differs from protein abundance because translation and degradation intervene.
Missing proteins: Proteins predicted from genomic evidence but not yet reliably detected or characterized experimentally. Incomplete detection leaves gaps in the measured proteome.

Linked from 16 pages