Going global: Protein expression profiling using shotgun mass spectrometry

Protein expression profiling, the science of monitoring global sets of proteins produced by any given cell type, tissue or organism, has been invigorated by the introduction of proteomic technologies capable of characterizing large numbers of proteins. This review summarizes recent advances in mass spectrometry-based techniques for high-throughput protein identification and quantitation that are fueling rapid growth in the field. Key publications applying state-of-the-art 'shotgun' methods for investigating the entire protein complement of whole organelles, cells and tissues are highlighted. An overview of current proteomic challenges, particularly in the area of data analysis, and the longterm prospects of protein profiling strategies in basic biomedical research, therapeutics development and clinical discovery is also provided.