This blog is intended to stimulate researchers and other individuals interested in proteomics and its applications into thinking ‘outside the box’. By catalyzing the exchange of ideas and views that reach beyond the conventional wisdom on the issues that are presently seen as impediments to the advancement of the field, we optimistically hope that exciting new approaches and subsequent discoveries will eventually be forthcoming. The ASBMB has been at the forefront in using the internet for enhancing scientific communication and the editors of MCP see this latest application as being in keeping with that legacy.
Although research in proteomics can be traced back several decades, it is still perceived as one of the newer areas of biological research, in part due to the exponential growth in both the size and the sophistication of experiments that has occurred in the last several years. Indeed, the facility with which intellectually staggering datasets can be obtained has created very significant challenges in information management and interpretation and journals have often struggled to keep pace. As such, these applications of proteomic technology to solving important problems in human and animal health, in the world food supply and in ecological and environmental arenas remain incredibly promising and have been, and continue to be, appropriately touted for their potential. There is clearly an enormous untapped well of applications awaiting investigation.
As exciting as these possibilities are, it is also clear that there are many additional hurdles to be overcome before the full spate of translational benefits are to be realized. Many of these are technological in nature, i.e. as powerful as the present ‘tool kit’ of proteomic methodologies is, there are still significant areas where the available technology is not yet up to answering the question posed. Deficiencies in quantitation, sensitivity and range, to name a few, exemplify the kind of problems that require further improvements. At the same time, proteomics also has suffered from a lack of hypothesis-driven studies, too often being little more than analyses that have produced lists or catalogs of proteins, their modifications or their macromolecular partners without providing any new biologically significant insights. In some cases, such as the search for biomarkers of disease, this sort of approach is justified, but for the most part, it is inadequate for discovering new biological phenomena.
Molecular & Cellular Proteomics has from its outset wished to play a catalytic role in the development of the field. It has attempted to do so by publishing high quality science and to some degree it has achieved this by helping to set community standards for certain types of articles. It has also encouraged articles that offer opinions (“Perspectives”) about germane topics that aren’t simply a balanced review of published material. Beginning with the new year, MCP has initiated yet one more type of article, “Issues in Proteomics”. These are intended to address subjects that are viewed as key to new advances in proteomics – both in terms of defining what is lacking and/or needed and, hopefully, offering ideas for new ways to address them. These articles will appear in MCP and will form the basis for open discussions on this blog site. The abstracts of these Issues articles will be posted on the blog (with a hyperlink to the full article) and comments, pro or con, can be posted by anyone. Comments will be monitored by the ASBMB, who publishes MCP, and must contain a name and address. The ASBMB reserves the right to block the posting of any comment that contains unprofessional or ad hominem material. Although we will not necessarily maintain a regular schedule for posting abstracts for comment, we hope to offer new material on a regular basis. The content of this forum will be maintained, so as to be readable, for at least a year. Anyone wishing to write an Issues article should communicate that interest to the editors (mcponline@asbmb.org).
Hello!
Very Interesting post! Thank you for such interesting resource!
PS: Sorry for my bad english, I’v just started to learn this language
See you!
Your, Raiul Baztepo