Western immunoblot dose-response analysis of human serum biomarker TrpC3 antigen

Biomarker Discovery and Screening

Global analysis of the abundance of proteins under different physiological conditions or using specific mutants allows the recognition of groups of proteins, whose cellular expression patterns may be co-regulated and whose activities may be post-translationally modulated. Therefore, in the post-genomics era, it is crucial to be able to quickly and accurately analyze protein expression patterns and quickly recognize their effects on cell physiology, growth and metabolism. An evolution of this paradigm is now better known as the science of biomarker discovery where changes in cellular phenotype or physiology are correlated with qualitative or quantitative alterations in protein expression or post-translational modifications. Biomarkers of cellular function and disease are now prognostic tools for evaluating the growth and health of an organism. The identification of specific protein biomarkers associated with changes in cell or tissue growth, infection and disease helps guide biomedical researchers seeking to develop specific diagnostics and therapeutics. Larial provides support services in the area of biomedical and industrial fermentation biomarker discovery and screening. A typical biomedical program might involve serum clearing to enrich for low abundance biomarkers of interest followed by mass spectrometry of peptides and identification of corresponding sequences generated from tissue proteins. The identification and measurement of fermentation biomarkers similarly assists microbiologists seeking to produce better quality product, reduce attrition and lower costs. Once reliable sets of biomarkers have been identified it is generally more applicable to use protein chemical or immunological probes to perform routine diagnostic screening assays. To enable such assays Larial custom produces synthetic peptide antibodies against circulating antigens of interest deduced from sequences identified by mass spectrometry. Antibodies produced to circulating biomarker sequences typically have much better reactivities and specificities for these antigens than probes developed to epitopes within intact, folded cellular proteins.