| The last few years have seen an enormous revival in protein science under the relatively new name of 'proteomics'. The term proteome was coined by Marc Wilkins in 1994, and is used to describe the entire protein complement of the genome. This can be further defined as the protein complement at any point in time - underlining the fact that proteins are complex, dynamic systems constantly changing in number and structure in response to physiological and environmental stimuli. Unlike traditional protein biochemistry, the science of proteomics generally refers to large-scale protein studies involving the high throughput screening and identification of novel proteins. A key aim of proteomics is to uncover the function of novel proteins - so providing possible new targets for drug intervention. Surface plasmon resonance (SPR) technology not only provides a means of isolating novel proteins, but also of uncovering their functional properties. |
