Glen Kemp

Mar 26 2009 by Andrew Mernin, The Journal

THE term 'proteomics' was only coined 14 years ago, making it a relatively new science. Just as the human genome project allowed the genetic 'plan' of human beings to be deciphered, so proteomics, one day, will allow scientists to map what proteins are present at any one time in any tissue in the body.

Proteins are the ‘work horses’ of the body; they convert sugar into energy, they make up muscle fibres and they constitute part of the protective layer of the skin.

By identifying and quantifying the protein in tissues and how this change over time, scientists can develop insights into life that could yield fundamental improvements in health and the environment.

The translation of these insights into beneficial products will continue to drive the growth of the UK biotechnology industry, which is a growing sector in the North East - and one which has already seen a great deal of inward investment activity. Companies such as Signalway Antibodies and Biosignatures are leading the way in innovation, research and development and are helping secure the region’s reputation as the place to do healthcare business.

Since proteomics can be applied to any living organisms, it is increasingly being used in agricultural biotechnology to help develop better food crops and more efficient biofuels and in microbiology to both fight microbes and to harness their amazing diversity. Durham-based Creative Gene Technology is one company using biotechnology to help develop new strategies to increase oil and starch crop yields and to develop new, environmentally friendly approaches to crop protection.

Of course much of this science was promised from the earliest days of proteomics, and it has to be said, the results so far have not lived up to expectations. This is in part because the technology has had to catch up with the theory. The equipment used for proteomics has improved greatly over the last decade, and can detect one teaspoon of protein in an Olympic sized swimming pool.

A key aspect of this development is the amount of computing power required to handle the immensely large and complex data generated by this research. Fortunately this has also increased exponentially over the decade and will continue to do so as research techniques become more sophisticated. Companies such as Newcastle-based NonLinear Dynamics has been working in the field for 20 years and are well-placed to meet this demand.

Just as important to the development of the sector in the region are the companies providing the tools and equipment to support biotechnology.

Finally, but perhaps most importantly, the people working in the field have had to develop and perfect new techniques and methods to allow them to generate and interpret robust reliable data and this is one area in particular where NEPAF can help researchers in the region to increase their skills and knowledge in this new science.

Dr Glen Kemp is programme manager of NEPAF (North East Proteome Analysis Facility), which is run by Cels.