The Department of Biology at NUI Maynooth has recently established a state-of-the art proteomics suite for the high-throughput screening of biomolecules. To improve diagnostic procedures and to identify treatment strategies for human disorders, various research groups in Maynooth are trying to identify and characterize novel disease biomarkers. Proteomics, which represents an exciting new discipline of protein chemistry, is defined as the large-scale biochemical analysis of the entire protein complement of a given cell population. One of the most sensitive detection techniques of comparative proteomics is fluorescence DIGE (difference in-gel electrophoresis) analysis, which was recently applied by Dr Phil Doran of the NUIM Muscle Biology Laboratory for studying neuromuscular diseases.
Dr. Phil Doran; being awarded the 2006 NUIM Science Prize by Professor John Hughes
With the help of high-resolution two-dimensional gel electrophoresis, mass spectrometry and densitometric scanning, he was able to separate and identify thousands of individual muscle proteins leading to the identification of several new early disease markers of the inherited childhood disorder Duchenne muscular dystrophy. For his outstanding research, he has been awarded the 2006 Doctoral Prize of Achievement in Science from NUI Maynooth. Other NUIM research groups that apply the proteomics technology platform in their biomedical studies are headed by Drs Kevin Kavanagh, Shirley O'Dea and Sean Doyle. These researchers are investigating as diverse topics as the immune response in insects versus humans, the mechanisms underlying lung diseases such as asthma, chronic obstructive pulmonary disease and cancer, and the identification of novel drug targets to interfere with viral and fungal pathogenicity. Unlike conventional biochemical approaches to identifying defective proteins in disease processes which focus on small numbers of genes or proteins, the application of mass spectrometry-based proteomics by these Maynooth researchers should result in a swift identification of new biomarker molecules. The establishment of the NUIM Proteomics Suite was supported by equipment and project grants from the Health Research Board and Science Foundation Ireland.
Contact: Professor Kay Ohlendieck
Tel: 01-7083842
E-mail:
[email protected]
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