Mary Lipton discusses PNNL's proteome research
Knowledge took a giant leap forward when the human genome was decoded at the dawn of the 21st century. Decoding the genome was a huge accomplishment in understanding the stuff of life. Now, scientists are taking the next major leap--the decoding of the proteome, the proteins that make our bodies function properly and make us who we are.
At the Columbia Basin College Theater on December 11, Mary Lipton, Pacific Northwest National Laboratory scientist, discussed the proteome, its potential effect on our lives, and the breakthrough research being conducted in this discipline at PNNL. Lipton's presentation was part of the Community Science and Technology Seminar Series co-sponsored by PNNL and CBC. Over 100 people attended the event.
Mary Lipton
Lipton explained the genome code is the blueprint of all the possible proteins expressed in living organisms. The proteome is the subset of those proteins that actually are made and change within a cell over time as the cells respond to their surrounding environment or disease.
Every chemical reaction essential to life depends on proteins. Proteins are expressed by each individual cell in the human body and are the molecular machines that make our bodies function properly. "Proteins determine how the work gets done. They carry out the genetic instructions that make us who we are," said Lipton. "Proteins also are responsible for the maladies that haunt us. The promise of proteome research lies in its potential to cure some of humanity's difficult illnesses. An understanding of how they do their job will help in the fight against cancer, in restoring the environment, and combating bioterrorism."
PNNL plays a key role in proteomics research through its Biomolecular Systems Initiative (BSI), a major thrust to further understanding of the proteome through advanced research technologies including powerful mass spectrometers and state-of-the-art data visualization techniques and tools and methods, such as yeast expression libraries of synthetic antibodies and integrated genomic and proteomics databases.
Mary Lipton
In fact, researchers at PNNL have obtained the most complete protein identification of any organism to date with the study of a radiation-resistant microbe known to survive extreme environments called Deinococcus radiodurans. Using a new, powerful mass spectrometry technique at the Laboratory, scientists observed an 84-percent coverage of the microbe's proteome. To identify proteins involved in various functions, Deinococcus radiodurans was exposed to several stresses and environments, including heat shock and exposure to ionizing radiation. The microbe is of interest because of its ability to withstand high levels of radiation and its impressive DNA repair capabilities. This research potentially could open up new opportunities to harness the microorganism for bioremediation.
Lipton joined PNNL in 1993. Her expertise includes proteomics and mass spectrometry; comprehensive analysis of the proteome of Deinococcus radiodurans; and direct characterization of DNA damage from ionizing radiation. She earned a doctorate in Biochemistry from the University of South Carolina and a bachelor's degree in chemistry from Juniata College, Huntingdon, PA. She was named Pacific Northwest National Laboratory Woman of Achievement in 2001.
