E ditor - in - chief
editorial
William S. Hancock
Barnett Institute and Department of Chemistry Northeastern University 360 Huntington Ave. 341 Mugar Bldg. Boston, MA 02115 617-373-4881; fax 617-373-2855
[email protected] Associate E ditors Joshua LaBaer Harvard Medical School György Marko-Varga AstraZeneca and Lund University Cons u lting E ditor Jeremy Nicholson Imperial College London E ditorial adv isory board Ruedi H. Aebersold ETH Hönggerberg Leigh Anderson Plasma Proteome Institute Ettore Appella U.S. National Cancer Institute Rolf Apweiler European Bioinformatics Institute Ronald Beavis Manitoba Centre for Proteomics John J. M. Bergeron McGill University Richard Caprioli Vanderbilt University School of Medicine Christine Colvis U.S. National Institutes of Health R. Graham Cooks Purdue University Thomas E. Fehniger AstraZeneca Catherine Fenselau University of Maryland Daniel Figeys University of Ottawa Sam Hanash Fred Hutchinson Cancer Research Center Stanley Hefta Bristol-Myers Squibb Denis Hochstrasser University of Geneva Michael J. Hubbard University of Melbourne Donald F. Hunt University of Virginia Barry L. Karger Northeastern University Daniel C. Liebler Vanderbilt University School of Medicine Matthias Mann Max Planck Institute of Biochemistry David Muddiman North Carolina State University Robert F. Murphy Carnegie Mellon University Gilbert S. Omenn University of Michigan Aran Paulus Bio-Rad Laboratories Jasna Peter-Katalini´c University of Muenster Clifford H. Spiegelman Texas A&M University Ruth VanBogelen Pfizer Global Research & Development Peter Wagner Zyomyx Scot R. Weinberger GenNext Technologies Keith Williams Proteome Systems John R. Yates, III The Scripps Research Institute
© 2006 American Chemical Society
This guest editorial is the second in the journal’s series about the growth of the international proteomics community.
Fostering Proteomics in India
I
ndia has a strong legacy in protein research that dates back to the late G. N. Ramachandran’s great work on protein structure, which is now a staple of biochemistry textbooks. Scholarly work on the structure and biochemistry of proteins and peptides has continued for many years in several Indian labs and institutes. Proteomics activities in which MS-based approaches are applied to biological questions or to the study of protein dynamics in health and disease are, however, recent. Nevertheless, they are in increasing demand, particularly for clinical applications. The first technology platform aimed at initiating cancer proteomics was set up at the Centre for Cellular and Molecular Biology (CCMB) in Hyderabad—one of the premier research institutes in India. Subsequently, many other national academic and R&D institutes and university centers have set up their own facilities, and more are in the pipeline. Proteomics has also drawn the attention of the private sector, with companies setting up labs for contract services. A nonprofit private institute in Bangalore is engaged in large-scale, global bioinformatics activities. Cancer proteomics figures in the priority list of many groups, along with other clinical conditions or diseases such as cardiac dysfunction, malaria, tuberculosis, fungal pathogenesis, and thalassemia. Investigators are also using proteomics approaches to study basic problems in endocrinology, cell biology, and development and differentiation. CCMB is developing a new multi-institutional initiative on plasma proteomics that is awaiting approval. India has a special advantage for such projects. Its population has enormous diversity, yet a given population group may have a high degree of homogeneity in genetics, lifestyle, and environmental effects. These population groups include some of the world’s ancient tribes and may offer unique opportunities for the exploration and understanding of the biology of human plasma. Thus, interest is growing in developing collective efforts that involve basic scientists and clinical groups to explore new technologies and to generate fresh knowledge and applications. Support from the major government funding agencies, such as the Council of Scientific and Industrial Research, the Department of Biotechnology, the Department of Science and Technology, and the Indian Council of Medical Research, encourages new proteomics platforms and programs. With such developments and strong credentials in biochemistry and information technology, India is poised to make important contributions to proteomics. However, big investments carry high expectations in return. The task for the researchers is more challenging than it appears. MS instrumentation capabilities are constantly changing. The 2DE/MS-driven or LC/MS-driven proteomics approaches have their own merits and demerits, and the informatics solutions have yet to reach the desired robustness. Deficiencies in comparisons of methodologies or interlab results are being debated in international forums such as HUPO, and efforts to set up guidelines, especially standardized MS strategies and protocols, are being considered so that the new science has a stable foundation. For India, which is in the process of intensifying its proteomics efforts, it is important that these complexities be well understood and that effective mechanisms for continuous interactions and dialogue with the international community evolve. In addition, investigators must closely observe and absorb the valuable experience of others, evaluate changing trends in technologies, and do adequate homework to embark upon carefully designed work plans and efforts. This way, the investments in proteomics will be directed to the development of strong resources with broad-spectrum capabilities in terms of both physical infrastructure and the intellectual base to handle a multitude of biomedical questions.
RAVI SIRDESHMUKH Centre for Cellular and Molecular Biology, India Journal of Proteome Research • Vol. 5, No. 11, 2006 2879
