Proteome Research

With the end of the Human Genome Project in sight, the next important step is to determine the function of genes. Proteome Research is an important approach to this study and is the first book to comprehensively cover the application of two-dimensional electrophoresis, the central methodology in proteome research. The state-of-the-art is described in detail and the available detection methods are extensively covered. Sufficient detail is given to allow readers to apply these technologies to their own particular requirements.

Proteomics, a branch of functional genomics, can be defined as the large-scale analysis of proteins. In all these large-scale analysis processes there are three phases: (1) separation of the molecules to be analyzed; (2) characterization of the separated molecules; and (3) managing, handling and analysis of the data. This book is centered on the first two phases of proteomics, i.e. separation by two-dimensional electrophoresis and microcharacterization of the separated proteins. This choice is due to the fact that the data production phase is the major bottleneck of proteomics, while it is not the case in standard genomics. Emphasis has been placed on the rationale of each technique, so that the reader will be able to keep pace with the rapid evolution of the techniques. However, up-to-date protocols are also given to help the beginner in the field.