Scientists receive $11.9M for proteomics research

Whether they work for a university or a corporate laboratory, scientists doing research in the life sciences now have one more reason to come to Michigan.

Philip Andrews, director of the Michigan Proteomics Consortium, in front of a specialized mass spectrometer that measures the chemical components of proteins. (Photo by Martin Vloet, U-M Photo Services)

An $11.9 million, five-year grant from the National Center for Research Resources (NCRR), a branch of the National Institutes of Health, will make Michigan a national leader for research and development on cutting-edge technologies in the fast-moving field of proteomics.

The grant was awarded to Philip Andrews, director of the Michigan Proteome Consortium (MPC)—a statewide network of scientists and research facilities at U-M, Wayne State University, Michigan State University and Van Andel Research Institute in Grand Rapids. The consortium was created in 2001 with a $13.7 million grant from the Michigan Life Sciences Corridor (MLSC) to provide services to industry and academic investigators.

Including university support, a total of more than $28 million has been invested in research facilities, equipment and staff for the MPC—all devoted to helping scientists identify proteins and understand what they do in living organisms.

"Our hope is that this newly awarded research resource will leverage the state's considerable investment in the Michigan Proteome Consortium to create a research center with a national scope and impact," says Douglas Sheeley, program director for the NCRR. "The consortium has an outstanding track record in proteomics and an impressive team of scientists building an integrated approach to difficult problems involving protein interactions."

"This award shows that the state's investment in infrastructure for the Core Technology Alliance is paying off," says Mike Jandernoa, chair of the MLSC steering committee.

"Thanks to financial support from universities, the state of Michigan, and now NCRR, every scientist in Michigan will have access to a state-of-the-art research facility and expert support services that would be out of reach for any single university or even most corporations," says Andrews, professor of biological chemistry in the Medical School. "It shows what universities and government can do, if they work together."

The NCRR funding will make it possible for the consortium to expand its R&D program in emerging proteomics technologies.

Proteomics is an important emerging field in the life sciences. While geneticists study the genes in a specific cell or organism, proteomics researchers focus on proteins—millions of complex molecules that do the work of living cells. Unlike genes, which are stored permanently on DNA in the cell's nucleus, proteins are ephemeral. They come and they go—created or destroyed instantly by cells in response to genetic instructions or biochemical signals from other cells or proteins. To understand the function of a gene, scientists must identify the proteins produced when that specific gene is active and figure out what those proteins do in the cell.

Andrews notes the importance of proteomics to researchers in many specialties, especially biomedical research.

Detecting trace amounts of a protein, which may exist in cells only for fractions of a second, requires extremely sensitive and expensive equipment to rapidly separate, analyze and identify all protein components in a cell sample. This generates massive amounts of data, which must be processed and stored in powerful, high-speed computers. The technology is moving so fast, it usually is outdated within two to three years.

Spot-picking robot punches out a dot containing one specific protein for analysis. (Photo by Martin Vloet, U-M Photo Services)

The NCRR funding will make it possible for the consortium to expand its research and development program in emerging proteomics technologies, Andrews says. "For proteomics to reach its full potential, we need to develop more sensitive techniques for use with smaller tissue specimens, new mapping technologies, and improved software and computational tools."

In 1998, when the field of proteomics was in its infancy, Andrews received a $750,000 pilot grant from the Medical School to create the first U-M proteomics center. "The initial investment by the Medical School allowed us to build the basic infrastructure we needed to apply for funds from the Michigan Life Sciences Corridor," Andrews says. "The state funding played a critical role in obtaining the NCRR grant, greatly increasing the competitiveness of the Michigan application."

"It's always gratifying to see positive results from an investment in a promising new field," says Dr. Allen Lichter, the Newman Family Professor of Radiation Oncology and dean of the Medical School. He credits the "foresight and determination" of many people in the Medical School and the University, especially Irwin Goldstein, professor emeritus of biological chemistry, who was the Medical School's associate dean for research in 1998 and championed the initial proposal; and Dr. Gilbert Omenn, now a professor of internal medicine and human genetics in the Medical School, who was a strong advocate for the importance of proteomics during his tenure as executive vice president for medical affairs.

In addition to the Medical School, financial and administrative support from the Provost's Office and the Office of the Vice President for Research were crucial to the center's development, Andrews says. The Provost's Office contributed $850,000 for extensive renovations and required utility upgrades of the proteomics laboratory on campus. Similar investments were made by Proteome Consortium partners Wayne State University, Michigan State University and Van Andel Research Institute to develop specialized laboratories at their institutions.

"The Michigan Proteome Consortium, one of five MLSC-funded core facilities, is part of an unprecedented effort to pull Michigan's leading research institutions together to collaborate and share very advanced laboratory facilities," says Fawwaz Ulaby, vice president for research. "It is a perfect example of how universities are helping create a thriving life sciences economy in Michigan."