The Cell Atlas Launched At 2016 ASCB Meeting

Showing location of proteins in cells opens a new chapter in human biology

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After the completion of the human genome in 2001, another major milestone was reached with the launch of the Cell Atlas at the 2016 American Society of Cell Biology Meeting. An open-access interactive database with unparalleled high-resolution images, the Cell Atlas visualizes for the first time the location of over 12,000 proteins in cells – opening the way to “spatial proteomics”, an exciting new discipline predicted* to lead to a fundamental increase in our understanding of human health and disease.

Prof Mathias Uhlen, Director of the Human Protein Atlas explains. “After the genome projects that has characterized the number of human protein-coding genes, the next step is to elucidate the function of these proteins. Being able to show the location of the human proteins in time and space with a subcellular resolution is an essential first step towards novel insights into protein function”

The Cell Atlas, part of the Swedish-based ...

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