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Protein chemistry |
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| For a word that probably wasn’t even invented a dozen years ago, proteomics is certainly making a name for itself today. I’ve seen any number of articles and reports from investment houses and venture capital firms touting the benefits of research in protein chemistry, especially as this research supports drug discovery. You have likely seen statements asserting that in a century of pharmaceutical development, we’ve focused on only 500 proteins out of a suite of perhaps more than 300,000, or however many are now thought to be encoded by the human genome. There is a lot we don’t know, but the investigational tools are getting better.
For instance, while chemists and biologists have traditionally separated proteins from cell amalgams on the basis of isoelectric focusing and electrophoresis (i.e., using 2-D gel separation techniques), new methods forseparation and identification are now being used based on HPLC and tandem mass spectrometry. As we report in this issue of Modern Drug Discovery, there are alternatives to 2-D gels. As Senior Editor Mark Lesney writes in his Feature article, “The need for speed and sensitivity is pushing this [2-D gel electrophoresis] workhorse to the limit, encouraging researchers to not only improve 2DE but also develop and use HPLC alternatives.” Organizations such as pharmaceutical houses, research institutes, and universities are attempting to identify both the elemental and spatial structure of proteins, the waythey are encoded by DNA, and the temporal changes proteins go through as they perform their chemical dance. Each piece of primary research leads to further questions, further investigations—indeed, further understanding. Where would one go to find the results of such investigations? Proteomic investigations have traditionally appeared in a diverse series of peer-reviewed journals such as Analytical Chemistry and Biochemistry, to name but two of what are undoubtedly a dozen or more. However, this research community is growing. There are more students graduating from universities in proteomics-related fields, as well as established scientists undertaking new protein investigations. In response to this growth, the American Chemical Society is launching a new peer-reviewed research journal to address the communication needs of proteomics researchers. Entitled the Journal of Proteome Research, this publication will promote a multidisciplinary approach to systems-oriented protein analysis and function, integrating research from the fields of chemistry, biology, applied physics, and computer science. William S. Hancock, vice president and general manager of proteomics at Thermo Finnigan, has been appointed editor by the ACS Board of Directors. Bill has stated his intention to publish original research papers, communications, technical notes, and perspectives—all the things one expects to find in a cutting-edgeresearch periodical. He has also declared his intention of presenting research highlights, current events, book and software reviews, and similar information he believes will interest the proteomics community. I am pleased to say that the editorial staff of Modern Drug Discovery will be contributing to these added information sections. It’s an exciting time for protein chemistry. The human genome has been mostly decoded, but we still don’t know how many genes there are, and we certainly haven’t completed the cataloging of their amino acid, peptide, and protein progeny. We on the editorial staff of MDD look forward to our affiliation with the Journal of Proteome Research. — |
