First came genomics, then proteomics. Next up: functional proteomics, a strategy aimed at understanding the relationships between cellular proteins. One such state-of-the-art technology is MELK, a patented "topological proteomics" approach from Meltec in Magdeburg, Germany.
MELK, or multiepitope-ligand kartographie, combines cell biology and biomathematics to visualize three-dimensional protein networks of intact cells at the cellular and subcellular levels. By observing multiple proteins simultaneously (up to 50 at a time so far) in space, quantity, and time, the technology provides researchers with a bird's-eye view of any cell of interest.
"MELK is not meant to compete with genomics and proteomics tools, but rather add value to those already powerful technologies by addressing the organization of the proteome in cells or tissues," says Ronald Koop, head of biological research at Meltec. Ultimately, this type of contextual data can enhance the drug-discovery process by prioritizing and validating existing drug targets, as well as ...
