Proteomics and its impact upon biomedical science

Proteomics is the protein equivalent of genomics and is the study of gene expression at a functional level. The proteome of an organism is the protein complement of its genome. However, unlike the genome, the proteome is dynamic: it varies according to the cell type and the functional state of the cell. In addition, the proteome shows characteristic perturbations in response to disease and external stimuli. Proteomics combines state of the art analytical methods with bioinformatics. Here, we review the concept and technology of proteomics with specific reference to applications in medical microbiology, cellular pathology, clinical chemistry, haematology/immunology, pharmacology and toxicology.