Biotechnology Intro | A Thing of the Past | Not all protons, neutrons and electrons!

A Thing of the Past
By An Nguyen

___We live in a world riddled with disease. All too often we hear about outbreaks of incurable or uncontrollable disease, such as SARS or the Marburg virus. These diseases affect millions and cause worldwide suffering. Marc Wilkins, scientist and lecturer at the University of New South Wales (UNSW), may possess the key to eradicating these diseases forever. This seemingly profound claim is justified by potential advances in Proteomics, a relatively new field of science founded by Marc himself in 1994. Proteomics is still in its early stages of development, but future advances may alleviate suffering for millions of people.

___Marc Wilkins starts his day at nine (and always with his regular coffee). He reads new emails from his international correspondents and peers at work and other contacts, which often concern his projects and his proteomics journal. On the day of our interview, Marc attends a morning meeting then proceeds to show us the lab where his proteomics research is conducted and a gene sequencing machine in another lab.

___Proteomics is the large scale study of all the proteins in living organisms. Proteins are the essential building blocks of life, and every biological reaction relies on at least one protein. If we knew the exact structure, function, and activity of each protein in a particular organism, we would have a detailed blueprint for how that creature operates. With this knowledge, we could radically improve medical treatment and healthcare strategies. Understanding these proteins could enable the development of specifically targeted therapies with many benefits. A rapid screening process could be used for patients with a wide range of infections or diseases. Proteomics may have the capacity to treat hereditary diseases, such as cystic fibrosis, which is often caused by mutated proteins made by faulty genes. Proteomics could deactivate mutated proteins, hence effectively eliminating these problems. These treatments are still in the research stage.

___Although Proteomics was created over 10 years ago, there have not yet been any significant breakthroughs. The human body has over 200000 proteins and any large scale study would produce incredibly large amounts of data. Unfortunately, the bioinformatics technology currently used for proteomics is inadequate, and analysis of data is time-consuming. Marc has initiated research projects to advance current bioinformatics. Starting a new project involves making a research plan, finding funding, and recruiting the right team. Marc often travels outside Australia to recruit scientists for his research team. The process relies on phone, email, or meetings, and it often takes weeks to complete. Such efforts constitute a significant portion of Marc’s day to day work.

___When he is not initiating new research projects, Marc spends most of his time coordinating projects. As a senior scientist, he supervises research. He receives reports from wet lab scientists, makes decisions based on that data, and issues instructions for the next research assignment.

___Whilst spearheading research in Bioinformatics, Marc serves on the advisory board of the Australian Research Council Center in Bioinformatics. He regularly meets and advises the Australian government on funding for Bioinformatics and the best direction for future research.

___Although research takes up most of Marc’s time, he still fills other important roles within the scientific community. As the founder of Proteomics, he is the senior editor of the scientific journal, Proteomics. Marc, with fifteen other editors worldwide, selects and maintains the quality of some 500 proteomics papers each year. He spends a lot of time in his office working on the journal and setting guidelines for the quality of proteomics papers.

___Though he had no lecture commitments on the 15th of April, Marc regularly lectures at UNSW in Biochemistry and specialized Biotechnology subjects. He enjoys this change of pace from the grind of research and welcomes the opportunity to explore Science through teaching.

___Proteomics is, without doubt, an exciting field of scientific study and may revolutionize medicine and health. Key developments in Bioinformatics may herald medical breakthroughs. Who knows, there could be a Nobel prize waiting for Marc in the near future.

Biotechnology Intro | A Thing of the Past | Not all protons, neutrons and electrons!