The impact of structural proteomics on biotechnology

Structural proteomics (SP) projects are capable of producing thousands of protein structures per year by employing semi-automated technologies. It is too early to assess and evaluate the scientific impact of these protein structures, although SP initiatives have substantially changed the traditional way of protein characterization. Many of the methodologies and technologies developed by SP have been adapted by structural biology laboratories and pharmaceutical companies to lower the costs, increase the speed and productivity of structure determination pipelines and to enhance drug discovery programs. The advent of genomic and proteomic technologies have facilitated rapid advances in our understanding of the molecular details of cellular function. The purpose of this review is to consider the impact of these technologies on protein structure analysis and to illustrate how it's directing the focus of research relevant to biotechnology.