Research at the University of Manchester has identified networks of proteins that control the fate of our body’s stem cells, findings that could aid progress towards new disease therapies.
Extracellular matrix networks control stem cell fate
Stem cells have the amazing ability to develop into different types of cells of the body, such as blood cells, muscle cells or brain cells. Remarkably, stem cells can also regenerate, essentially renewing themselves an unlimited number of times.
Proteomics Clinical Applications cover, 2012, vol. 6 (no. 7-8)
My image features on the cover of the current issue of the journal Proteomics Clinical Applications.
My paper has been published in the current issue of the journal Proteomics. The paper also makes the cover of the issue, which is a special issue on the theme of Cancer Proteomics.
Proteomics cover, 2012, vol. 12 (no. 13)
Interpreting proteomic data
Proteomic analyses, which often aim to catalogue – to ever-increasing depths – all the proteins present in a particular biological sample, generate vast sets of data. Of course, these datasets are only useful if they are interrogated to extract meaningful information, which is not a trivial task. Proteomic data are usually interpreted on the basis of current knowledge, which is important to gain understanding in the context of the experiment. Still, proteomic approaches such as mass spectrometry lend themselves to the discovery of new insights into proteins.
My letter in today’s issue of the Journal of Proteomics argues that the interpretation of proteomic data should be open to the possibility of identifying unexpected functions or subcellular locations of proteins.
Such approaches to the analysis of the ever-increasing volume of large-scale datasets will likely lead to many new discoveries.
I attended the recent “Signaling by Adhesion Receptors” Gordon Research Conference (24-29 June) and associated Seminar (23-24 June) in Waterville, Maine, USA. The topics of both meetings covered research on signal transduction involving cell-cell and cell-extracellular matrix interactions. These interactions are essential for a multicellular existence. Unsurprisingly, when these processes go wrong, disease is often a consequence, and the implications of adhesion signalling in cancer were frequently discussed during the meetings.
The Seminar, held in conjunction with the Gordon Research Conference, was aimed at students and post-docs. Held before the main Conference, the Seminar provided a unique opportunity to share data and ideas with peers. It was a great warm-up for the subsequent Conference! Both meetings benefited from highly interactive poster sessions, with people often ignoring the (imaginary) dinner gong to continue their discussions. Speaking of dinner, the final evening saw the conference dinner, as the stormy skies of the week cleared for a traditional al fresco Maine lobster bake. Not my cup of tea, but most people seemed to enjoy tucking into their crustaceans in the sunshine. Bibs were provided!
Maine Lobster
