From Genomics to Proteomics

Transcription

1 Trends & Prospects From Genomics to Proteomics The next milestone to decode mystery of life was assigned a one percent workload in the sequencing of the human genome. Those who attended the international public lecture held recently in Hangzhou in eastern China s Zhejiang province paid much attention to the speech given by Dr. Eric Lander, one of the key people involved throughout the huge, decadelong international collaboration of the Human Genome Project (HGP). Dr. Lander is the director of the Whitehead- MIT Center for Genome Research in the US. No matter whether it is to his peer scientists, the lay public or the media reporters, the biologist spared no effort in describing the bright future the HGP may bring to mankind, and to biological research itself. During the lecture, he did not hesitate to use the Chinese he learned in his early years to get his ideas across. Professor Francis Collins, director of the HGP, who also attended the international symposium, defined the future strategy of international biological research. Coinciding with the event, Chinese scientists announced that they have completed their assignment under the HGP to sequence one percent of human genome. When the HGP was initiated 12 years ago, few people knew exactly what it was, except that it would need an astronomic sum of US$3 billion. Scientists who promoted the project described it as a great effort to decode the Book of Life, and likened it to the Apollo Project that sent human beings to the moon s surface. Genomics, was established to study the totality of human genes, rather than pinpointing specific ones, as biologists did in the past. Scientists use a sequencer, to decode the three-billion nucleotide pairs the building blocks of human genome. A new branch in biology, called genomics, was established to study the totality of human genes, rather than pinpointing specific ones, as biologists did in the past. Scientists use a powerful machine, called a sequencer, to decode the three-billion nucleotide pairs the building blocks of human genome. China joined the project two years ago as the only developing country among the six participating countries, and Meanwhile, the HGP, as a whole, has the finish line in sight, with the complete map of human genome expected in By then, the 3-billion-letter Book of Life will be decoded, scientists promised. However, the story is still far from over. The completion of the Human Genome Project only opens the way to greater, more complicated research areas. Professor Chen Zhu, a leading biologist involved in China s assignment under HGP, said that how to read the book will be crucial for any further research based on it. Different persons may have different ways to read the book, and that will determine how we can make the best use of the book. Prof. Lander echoed Prof. Chen s points in a speech at the symposium, saying the completion of HGP only opens the way to greater, more complicated research areas. The next milestone Professor Lander predicts that the next stage will be proteomics, the study of proteins as a whole.he defined proteomics as a subset of genomics which studies proteins the basic elements of life using new approaches and perspectives developed in genomics studies. Proteins are the end products of gene expression. Understanding their functions means people will be able to comprehend the causes of almost all known diseases and, in turn, find effective cures for them. In fact, research on the structures and function of proteins started long before genomics but has taken a rather time-consuming, one-byone approach. Biologists usually isolate and purify a particular protein, before studying its structure and function. 558 APBN Vol. 5 No

2 Professor Liu Siqi, a senior research fellow with the Huada Genomics Center in China, said that this often takes a rather long time and patience on the part of biologists. Huada, host of the symposium, has pioneered China s research on genomics and played a major role in the country s participation in HGP. Their sequencing capacity now ranks among the top six research centers across the world. According to Prof. Liu, proteins and genomes carry different biological information. While an organism has one genome set, proteins of an organism may vary widely in structure and function. Each type of cells has a unique set of proteins or proteome. So far, 252 types of cells have been identified within the human body, which implies a vast pool of research resources for biologists. Each protein has unique chemical and physical properties and their interaction defines how life develops. Proteins and genomes carry different biological information. While an organism has one genome set, proteins of an organism may vary widely in structure and function. Each type of cells has a unique set of proteins or proteome. The traditional approach to protein studies, using the one-by-one approach, appears unable to deal with such a complicated network of life. Therefore, proteomics aims at revealing all the protein information expressed by the genome of an organism to provide an accurate picture and as much information as possible for biological research. Another aspect that makes proteomics so enticing is that, unlike genome research, proteomics information may be directly used in the biological industry. For example, proteomics may help scientists find the so-called target molecule proteins in cells that cause a certain disease very quickly and on a large scale. The identification of such a target molecule is the crucial step towards new medicines, which at present still take billions of dollars and many years to create. That is why almost all the big pharmaceutical firms in the world have established research centers for proteomics research. Another version of HGP? Professor Liu added that the timing is right for a proteomics project like HGP. In fact, US scientists have proposed a similar project called the Human Protein Index in 1980, and once obtained financial support from the US Congress. However, the project was axed when the Republicans took over the government, and only part of it later developed into the HGP. The HGP has inspired proteomics with its assembly-line, large-scale research method. And genomics research has constructed a set of gene databases that provides a strong technical base for proteomics research. With the completion of HGP around the corner, proteomics will have a strong technological platform. If the HGP answers the question how we are made, the next, more exciting question is why are we so different. And proteomics may give us the answer. The HGP has inspired proteomics with its assembly-line, large-scale research method. And genomics research has constructed a set of gene databases that provides a strong technical base for proteomics research. In the past year, both academic and industrial circles have given special emphasis to progress in proteomics. Two years ago, there were only two companies in the US dedicated to genomics research. Now there are more than 150. Big genome research companies, like Celera and Incyte, have invested billions of dollars to establish their own proteomics centers. More than 20 international symposiums have been held worldwide. It has been realized by increasingly more biologists and companies that the turn to proteomics is the trend. The question is how? In an international symposium held in April near Washington, the Human Proteome Organization (HUPO) was established, with Huada representing China as one of the initiators. It has been realized by increasingly more biologists and companies that the turn to proteomics is the trend, said Prof. Liu, who attended the symposium on behalf of Huada. The question is how? APBN Vol. 5 No

3 Lack of common goal Unlike the HGP that focuses on sequencing the three billion nucleotide pairs on human DNA with powerful sequencers and high performance computers, the proteomics research is still lacking a commonlyagreed goal and mature technologies. As to the lack of a goal, one reason may be that proteomics itself is too large and diversified a subject, whose boundary is yet to be demarcated. There are many terms used nowadays among biologists to describe so-called post genomics research, such as functional genomics, medical genomics, comparative genomics and, of course, proteomics. One reason may be that proteomics itself is too large and diversified a subject, whose boundary is yet to be demarcated. They have, at least, one thing in common: protein will be the focus of this research. In a way, it reflects the situation of the whole industry. Unlike the HGP that largely depends on public funds and allows free access to its results, the proteomics research, vast as it is, is comparable to a virgin land where big, private companies have taken the initiative to mark out their territories. If the driving force behind HGP is governmental and public funds, it is the business incentives that have largely pushed forward the proteomics research. sharing of information more difficult than ever and an international collaboration almost impossible. New technologies and apparatuses have emerged from time to time, but none appear to dominate the area. Meanwhile, the technologies used to analyze proteome are still in progress and there is still no technology as dominant in this area as the genome sequencers in HGP. Prof. Liu said that new technologies and apparatuses have emerged from time to time, but none appear to dominate the area. Chinese scientists have been following the trend closely, and many have made ambitious plans to build China s proteomics project. Proteomics research centers have been established in some universities and institutes, with researchers from abroad playing a major role. Huada, the first in China to conduct genomics research, has initiated proteomics research on rice, microbes and a number of diseases. Prof. Liu warns of a possible frenzy of buying and shelving, which has been commonplace in China s scientific research. Unlike the HGP that largely depends on public funds and allows free access to its results, proteomics research is comparable to a virgin land where big, private companies have taken the initiative to mark out their territories. Professor Liu revealed that, in the April HUPO symposium, 60 percent of the participants and most of the speakers were from biological companies. That may explain why it takes several months for HUPO to elect its chairman. The participation of big companies makes the Many more research centers have now sprouted up, with plans to buy such expensive apparatuses as mass spectrometers. Prof. Liu warns of a possible frenzy of buying and shelving, which has been commonplace in China s scientific research. He said that many people simply bought the apparatus for hundreds of thousands of dollars and shelve it until new equipment replaced it. He proposed to establish a couple of national centers to conduct research on proteomes of cancer cells widespread among the Chinese people, and on some organisms prevalent in China. He said that may prove a practical path for China. 560 APBN Vol. 5 No

4 T he Nobel Prize, as founded in Alfred Nobel s will, was the first truly international prize. There is no other award with the same global scope and mission. The Nobel Prizes in Physics, Chemistry, Physiology or Medicine, Literature, Peace, and the Bank of Sweden Prize in Economic Sciences (from 1969) have not only captured the most significant contributions to the progress of mankind, they also constitute distinct markers of the major trends in their respective areas. The main reason for the prestige of the Prize today is, however, the lasting importance of the names on the list of Laureates and their contributions to human development. In celebration of the centennial of the Nobel Prize in 2001, this book offers a clear perspective on the development of human civilization over the past hundred years. The book serves to present the major trends and developments and also provide information about the life and philosophy of Alfred Nobel, the history of the Nobel Foundation, and the procedure for nominating and selecting Nobel Laureates. Contents Introduction (M Sohlman) Life and Philosophy of Alfred Nobel (T Frängsmyr) The Nobel Foundation: A Century of Growth and Change (B Lemmel) Nomination and Selection of the Nobel Laureates (Compiled by B Lemmel) The Nobel Prize in Physics (E B Karlsson) The Nobel Prize in Chemistry: The Development of Modern Chemistry (B G Malmström & B Andersson) The Nobel Prize in Physiology or Medicine (J Lindsten & N Ringertz) The Nobel Prize in Literature (K Espmark) The Nobel Peace Prize (G Lundestad) The Sveriges Riksbank (Bank of Sweden) Prize in Economic Sciences in Memory of Alfred Nobel (A Lindbeck) 248 pp Aug US$ X(pbk) US$26 18

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