Paleoproteomics explained to youngsters: how did the wedding of two-dimensional electrophoresis and protein sequencing spark proteomics on: Let there be light

TL;DR

This paper reviews the early history and technological advances that led to modern high-throughput proteomics, emphasizing the significance of the initial developments in protein separation and sequencing techniques over the past two decades.

Contribution

It provides a historical perspective on the technological evolution of proteomics from its inception to current high-throughput methods.

Findings

Proteomics emerged from advances in protein separation and microanalysis.

The first decade of proteomics was particularly challenging and less documented.

The article contextualizes proteomics development alongside DNA sequencing progress.

Abstract

Taking the opportunity of the 20th anniversary of the word "proteomics", this young adult age is a good time to remember how proteomics came from enormous progress in protein separation and protein microanalysis techniques, and from the conjugation of these advances into a high performance and streamlined working setup. However, in the history of the almost three decades that encompass the first attempts to perform large scale analysis of proteins to the current high throughput proteomics that we can enjoy now, it is also interesting to underline and to recall how difficult the first decade was. Indeed when the word was cast, the battle was already won. This recollection is mostly devoted to the almost forgotten period where proteomics was being conceived and put to birth, as this collective scientific work will never appear when searched through the keyword "proteomics". BIOLOGICAL SIGNIFICANCE: The significance of this manuscript is to recall and review the two decades that separated the first attempts of performing large scale analysis of proteins from the solid technical corpus that existed when the word "proteomics" was coined twenty years ago. This recollection is made within the scientific historical context of this decade, which also saw the blossoming of DNA cloning and sequencing. This article is part of a Special Issue entitled: 20 years of Proteomics in memory of Viatliano Pallini. Guest Editors: Luca Bini , Juan J. Calvete, Natacha Turck, Denis Hochstrasser and Jean-Charles Sanchez.