Proteomics
Proteins are the building blocks of life, each with their own form and function. For example, insulin is a protein produced by the pancreas whose function is to trigger the absorption of glucose from the blood into cells of the body. This provides the cells with fuel for energy. Without insulin, the cells in your body will not absorb glucose from the blood.
A proteome is the sum total of all proteins in an organic sample. An organic sample can be blood, organ tissue, single cells, or an entire human body. Each organ, tissue, and cell type produces a different subset of all the proteins your body can produce as dictated by your genetics. The amounts of each protein also change over time as a function of your body chemistry.
Traditionally, biologists have been limited to small-scale studies of only a few proteins at a time. With the development of new technologies such as mass spectrometry and high performance liquid chromotography (HPLC), modern proteomics studies have become possible. Proteomics is the study of whole proteomes on an industrial scale.
Proteomics studies seek answers to questions we have about all the proteins in a proteome:
- Identification: What is it?
- Quantification: How much of it?
- Modification: How has it been altered?
- Structure: What shape is it? Function follows form.
- Interactions: How do they affect each other?
- Location: Where do they work?
The answers to these questions can be used to identify biomarkers. Biomarkers are biological molecules useful as an indicator of a normal or abnormal condition or disease, or an indicator of how the body responds to the treatment of a condition or disease.
DiabetOmics is a proteomics technology-based, clinically experienced organization dedicated to providing the next generation of diagnostic tests for assessing prediabetes, diabetes, and diabetic complications. DiabetOmics is developing novel, non-invasive biomarker tests for diabetes through state-of-the-art proteomics approaches. These tests promise to offer significant improvement in convenience and accuracy over plasma glucose-based tests.