What is Proteomics?

Definition: Proteomics is the study of proteins on a large-scale, made possible today by technological advances in computing and data processing. The term proteome is analogous to genome, which is the entire compliment of genes in a cell, the study of which is called genomics. In proteomics, the entire compliment of proteins in a cell is studied at once. The complex mixture of proteins can be processed in different gels or arrays to separate or differentiate between proteins based on various properties. Protein arrays are also used to quantify how much of each has been expressed in a cell under certain growth (or fermentation) conditions. This information is used to study the structure and function of proteins. Proteomics is a high throughput process as opposed to traditional laboratory methods that use protein purification methods to isolate and study individual proteins.