Array-based proteomics: high-throughput expression and purification of IMAGE consortium cDNA clones

As the sequencing efforts of the Human Genome Project approach closure, the next frontier in the quest to understand how specific genes function will rely upon technical advances in protein analysis. An understanding of protein function will be essential to this process. The development of high-throughput genomic strategies has led to the design of new schemes for genome-scale protein science. Thus, the field of proteomics, the protein complement of genomics, has emerged. Here, we outline the role of proteomics within the genomic sciences, with emphasis toward array-based approaches. A high-throughput protein expression system has been developed for the analysis of the human proteome. This methodology facilitates improved functional and structural analysis of novel genes identified by expressed sequence tag (EST) sequencing and the Human Genome Project.