we speak peptides
ABOUT US
Proteoform [proh-tee-o-form]
NOUN (PLURAL: PROTEOFORMS)
1. Biochemistry. A specific molecular form of a protein product arising from a specific gene.
2. Molecules of protein origin. A gene-centric term to refer to protein molecules without an inference problem to create imprecision by grouping related forms of proteins together even though they are the products of different eukaryotic genes: to measure a specific proteoform from a cell.
ProteoFormiX biomedically and (bio-) pharmaceutically explores and exploits human proteoforms from tissue and liquid biopsies in search of innovative biomarkers, readily translatable into drug development applications and/or into novel diagnostics. Identifying proteoforms is considerably different from identifying proteins and both biologically and biomedically more relevant.
In search of proteoforms
Top-down proteomics
We conduct top-down proteomics of biobanked clinical material, focussing on a worldwide stably stored but yet underexplored resource of biomedical information. Our main interests are neurodegenerative disorders and other difficult to diagnose diseases (particularly with high medical need, like cancer).
We also conduct proteomics of clinically relevant biofluids, with a focus on ophthalmology with tears being one of the most easily sampled body fluids.
Aim
By identifying tissue and cell specific human secretory proteoforms, we assemble the human peptide ‘dictionary’. By identifying disease (and health) specific human proteoform profiles, we record the human tissue ‘vocabulary’. This information will be used for the benefit of the patient.
ProteoFormiX is currently working together with hospital pathology departments and pharmaceutical research groups, and is looking forward to expanding its collaborative network with other parties in the field.