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In a new DFG Research Unit called FOR1700, ISAS scientists aim to characterize atomic nanowires that might be used one day to construct very fast and very small computer chips.

This press release (PDF) is available in German only.

For more information on FOR1700, please visit www.atomicwires.de.

A comprehensive analysis of the platelet proteome is currently causing a stir among platelet researchers. ISAS scientists from the System Analysis and Signaling Proteomics groups, along with their collaboration partners (see below), have identified almost 4000 platelet proteins and more than 2500 phosphorylation sites and were able to determine the copy numbers of about 3700 of the 4000 proteins. The study was published in "Blood" on October 11.

Platelets, also known as thrombocytes, are a specific type of blood cell responsible for blood coagulation and thus for wound healing processes. However, their blood clotting properties also make them quite dangerous: They can aggregate to form thrombi and clog blood vessels. Thus they are directly involved in the genesis and progression of cardiovascular diseases, the major cause cause of death worldwide: According to a study published by the World Health Organisation (WHO) more than 17 million people died from cardiovascular diseases in 2008, making 30 percent of all worldwide deaths. Therefore it is an important aim of biomedical research to better understand platelet function.

The proteome – which is the entirety of all proteins in a cell – can provide information on function or dysfunction of the cell, but only if it is completely known. Up to now, however, merely 2000 thrombocyte proteins had been identified, whereas the new study covers 85 percent of the platelet proteome and additionally shows which amount of which protein is available in the average platelet cell. The authors of a comment on the paper published in the same edition of "Blood" praise the “impressive near complete quantitative analysis” and call it "a major and decisive step forward" in this area of research.

Another form of acknowledgement shows how thoroughly the analysis has been done: The "Global Proteome Machine" (GPM), a website that evaluates raw data from proteomic studies, has named the platelet study data "data set of the week", rating it as "very good". This was the second time in a row that ISAS proteomics data achieved this title: At the beginning of October the data set of another paper ("Integral Quantification Accuracy Estimation for Reporter Ion-based Quantitative Proteomics (iQuARI).", J Proteome Res., 2012 Oct 5) was also rated as "data set of the week", getting the top mark "Excellent data (leading the field)".

Links for further information:

> Original paper in "Blood" (subscription required)
> Corresponding comment in "Blood"
> The Global Proteome Machine (GPM)

Collaboration partners:

• Institut für Klinische Biochemie und Pathobiochemie, Universitätsklinikum Würzburg
• Center for Thrombosis and Haemostasis, Universitätsklinikum der Johannes Gutenberg-Universität Mainz
• Department of Medical Protein Research, Vlaams Instituut voor Biotechnologie (VIB), Ghent, Belgium
• Department of Biochemistry, Ghent University, Belgium
• Medizinisches Proteom-Center (MPC), Ruhr-Universität Bochum

In a new EU project called DOGGIES (Detection of Olfactory traces by orthoGonal Gas identification technologIES), ISAS scientists plan to develop "electronic track hounds" based on ion mobility spectroscopy to discover refugees hidden in freight containers.

This press release (PDF) is available in German only.