COMPUTATIONAL GENOMICS
THE "HOW" OF SCIENCE
PROTEOMICS
OVERVIEW OF PROTEOMICS
Proteomics is the study of the collection of proteins inside the human body. Because a lot of the data that is collected in proteomics is complex, it would take weeks or months to compare and analyze the protein by hand. Therefore, bioinformatics is essential in creating programs to computationally analyze the proteomic data. These computational strategies allow the storage and analysis of proteins to be faster and more efficient [1].
This video provides an overview of the study of proteomics as well as some of the real-world applications of this study [1a].
Protein Identification:
The techniques that are used to produce peptide data do not identify the specific proteins that they are measuring. Certain programs in bioinformatics can be used to convert the sequences that are produced by the mass spectrometry and microarray techniques and match them to similar proteins. This alignment is performed by programs that compare the sample to proteins in databases such as PROSITE. [1]
Protein Structure Identification:
Scientists use the structure of the protein to understand how the protein interacts with other proteins as well as its function. Bioinformatics tools use an understanding of other protein structures and the chemical properties of amino acids to construct a model of the structure of the protein. By using the computer-generated model of the protein, scientists can model interactions between proteins in order to better understand the complex world of proteomics.
Studying Biomarkers:
Scientists have found that they can use bioinformatics tools to generate a map of the biomarkers found in a pregnant woman's blood to monitor the development of organs and tissues in the fetus. This computational technique can be used in the future to detect abnormal development in a fetus.
One of the major roles that computational tools has on proteomics is in the study of protein structures. This image shows a computer-generated model of a protein [1].
This video is another example of a 3D structural protein model that can be generated using computer programs. These protein models can be used to model protein interaction and function [2a].