By creating the first complete map of the human genome, the Human Genome Project made genetics an everyday topic that any well-informed person could comment on. Even so, the human genome is only part of the blueprint of human biology. The real brick-and-mortar building blocks of the body are the constantly changing proteins that make up every structure and are involved in every function. Accurate, large-scale protein measurement has lagged behind DNA sequencing, thanks largely to the immense complexity of the proteome. Unlike the relative simplicity and cellular “sameness” of DNA, proteins come in a vast variety of shapes and a massive range of concentrations, differing between tissues and even cells in their expression levels.
As the proteomics platform with the broadest coverage on the market today, the SomaScan Platform opens the study of proteins for biological discovery, from the identification of new biomarkers to the identification of novel drug targets.
The SomaScan Platform provides the ability to accurately and consistently measure thousands of proteins across many logs of concentration. This promises to reveal the fundamental molecular causes of disease, leading to new biomarkers, drug targets and new drugs based on a deep understanding of disease and biology.
The SomaScan Platform’s applications in life sciences and biopharmaceuticals are only as limited as the imaginations of its users. The documents in this eBook provide a glimpse of the kinds of questions asked and answered by researchers using this unmatched breakthrough technology.
