The Proteomics Research Center at the University of Toronto involves the close interdisciplinary collaboration of a team of highly skilled and motivated investigators who are expert in model organism biology, protein biochemistry, protein mass spectrometry, functional genomics, computational biology and informatics.

The focus and long-term objectives of the Proteomics Research Center (PRC), are to develop a fully integrated experimental framework for researchers to systematically address the complexities of protein function and cellular networks using advanced and complimentary experimental approaches and technologies.

Specifically, we aim to develop leadership in:

1. Powerful new experimental methodologies for elucidating the molecular functions of the protein components of the principle biological pathways of model organisms.

2. Implementing and validating experimental frameworks for the analysis of complex protein mixtures, protein-protein interaction networks, and protein-based regulatory networks.

3. As an internationally recognized center of excellence in proteomics research and training in state-of-the-art proteomics data acquisition and analysis as well as a source of important new insights into the fundamental principles that underlie cell biology.

It must be emphasized that we are motivated by a common interest to analyze biological problems through a synergy of methodologies and biological perspectives. As much as possible, we aim to foster cross-communication and transfer the various research skills among all the members of collaborating laboratories, and this will obviously benefit the nascent proteomics field by providing training for a new breed of principle investigators, postdoctoral and postgraduate researchers who will disseminate these skills around the world. While most of the current research is focused on model systems, sooner, rather than later, these skills will be applied to even more human systems where the challenges, and their corresponding solutions, will be similar but of a greater scale. We believe we will be well positioned to embark on this next great challenge.

Today, several disciplines, in particular bioinformatics, genomics, and proteomics, are converging in efforts to annotate, exploit and extend newly-available genome sequence information. The goal of the research efforts at the Center are to increase understanding of the function(s) and relationships of the many thousands of genes and proteins present in living cells, with the implicit expectation that this understanding will lead to dramatic progress in uncovering the fundamental principles that govern biology and evolution.