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Proteome & Proteomics

In support of proteomics research and activities at the University of Michigan, as well as providing basic information for the public.

About Proteomics

EMBL-EBI: What Is Proteomics?

"Proteomics is the large-scale study of proteomes. A proteome is a set of proteins produced in an organism, system, or biological context. We may refer to, for instance, the proteome of a species (for example, Homo sapiens) or an organ (for example, the liver). The proteome is not constant; it differs from cell to cell and changes over time. To some degree, the proteome reflects the underlying transcriptome. However, protein activity (often assessed by the reaction rate of the processes in which the protein is involved) is also modulated by many factors in addition to the expression level of the relevant gene."  

HUPO: What Is Proteomics? 

"Proteomics has evolved from genomics and the successful sequencing and mapping of the genomes of a wide variety of organisms, including humans.

Genomics involves using reagents, tools and technologies for the high throughput sequencing of DNA and the subsequent storage and annotation of the data. This process is complex and focuses on the information of one target molecule, DNA, in the nucleus of cells. Consequently, there is one genome for each organism.

In contrast, proteomics focuses on the identification, localization, and functional analysis of the protein make-up of the cell. The proteins present in a cell, together with their function, sub-cellular location, and perhaps even structure, change dramatically with the organism, and the conditions faced by their host cells including: age, checkpoint in the cell cycle, and external or internal signaling events."