Proteomic Profiling: Data Mining and Analyses

Abstract

Proteomics, the large scale study of proteins, provides a complementary approach to genomics in exploring biological phenomena. With modern development of Mass Spectrometry-based technologies, proteomics has evolved into a powerful analytical platform for life science researchers, and has advanced our understanding of the complex and dynamic nature of proteins. In the clinical field, proteomics studies have been widely applied in identifying biomarkers, monitoring disease status, and assessing treatment effect. In this chapter, an overview of current proteomics profiling is introduced from four perspectives: collecting protein samples with appropriate experimental approaches, characterizing protein features with advanced mass spectrometry-based technologies, annotating protein information with publicly available databases, and interpreting protein functions with bioinformatics analyses. We also give an example of how proteomics research workflow is applied in breast cancer studies.