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Proteomics Research at GW

- Proteomics Media Breakfast Audio
- GW’s Protein Microscope: Blazing New Trails in Proteomics Research
- PowerPoint Presentation: Akos Vertes
- PowerPoint Presentation: Mark Reeves
- PowerPoint Presentation: Fatah Kashanchi

Proteomics, the systemic study of proteins based on the genome, has captured the attention of academia, government and industry alike. According to current estimates, the three billion base pairs in the human genome only code for approximately 30,000 genes. During the life cycle of cells, the information in these genes is translated into proteins, the real actors in cellular processes. The proteins in turn perform the necessary tasks (signaling, regulation, catalysis, etc.) that keep the cells alive. Although determining the identity, structure and concentration of the significant proteins is a daunting task, the potential return of this endeavor is hard to resist. On the scholarly level, one can expect to gain a vastly improved understanding of life as it is reflected in the cell cycle. On a practical level, this understanding enables the design of smart drugs that specifically target the cellular process related to a particular disease.

The broad objectives of The George Washington University’s Institute for Proteomics Technology and Applications (IPTA) are to engage in research in developing new proteomics technology and in using that technology for proteomics research. Of particular interest are nanomaterials-based sensors and mass spectrometry, and their application to proteomics.

Significant areas of research among IPTA-affiliated faculty include:

  • Mass spectrometry (matrix-assisted laser desorption ionization (MALDI), atmospheric pressure MALDI, desorption/ionization on silicon (DIOS), electrospray);
  • Imaging mass spectrometry (metabolomics, atmospheric pressure and in vivo studies);
  • Near field microscopy;
  • Nanoparticles in the detection of protein structure and interactions;
  • Protein interactions in neuromuscular junctions and organs;
  • Proteomics, genomics and bioinformatics of AIDS and adult T-cell leukemia;
  • Proteins, genes and cells in the ancestral, innate immune system in sea urchin;
  • Proteomics in plant physiology;
  • Biomineralization;
  • Proteins in peroxisomes;
  • Bioinformatics;
  • Computational modeling in structural biology;

Members of GW’s Institute for Proteomics Technology and Applications include Akos Vertes (co-director), professor of chemistry, biochemistry, and molecular biology; Fatah Kashanchi (co-director), professor of biochemistry; Robert P. Donaldson, professor of biology; J. Houston Miller, professor of chemistry; Mark E. Reeves, professor of physics; Rahul Simha, professor of engineering and applied science; L. Courtney Smith, associate professor of biology; Henry Teng, associate professor of chemistry; Frank J. Turano, associate professor of biology; William B. Weglicki, professor of physiology and experimental medicine; and Chen Zeng, assistant professor of physics.

For more news about the GW Institute for Proteomics Technology and Applications, visit www.gwu.edu/~ipta.