New steps in the quest to break the code of life

New steps in the quest to break the code of life
Credit: AI-generated image (disclaimer)

The deciphering of the human genome in 2000 was a major milestone in the history of science and a vital step towards the more complete understanding of human life.

But like many advancements in science, what it really did was lay the groundwork for a far more challenging task: to understand the intricate and diverse modes of action of the proteins, which are the products of genes.

Understanding on a genomic scale is now one of the central goals of biology. EU-funded project ENZYME MICROARRAYS ('An integrated technology for the deconvolution of complex biochemical systems, drug discovery and diagnostics') was aimed at developing new techniques to help better understand protein functioning.

Proteins are the large that perform a vast array of functions within , including catalysing , replicating DNA, responding to stimuli, and transporting molecules from one location to another.

Until now, the lack of appropriate technologies capable of dealing with the complexity of the entire set of proteins expressed by a genome, the so-called 'proteome', has represented a major obstacle.

ENZYME MICROARRAYS researchers at the Munich Technical University set out to develop a novel enzyme microarray technology (EMT), as a powerful tool for studying one class of proteins, the enzymes. Enzymes are large biological molecules responsible for catalysing multitudes of chemical activities that sustain life.

The project's novel EMT relies on the development of chemical probes that can be used to monitor the activity of a multitude of enzyme microarrays - a large number of enzymes arranged in classes and attached to a solid surface.

Researchers used the technique in conjunction with designed in order to perform a detailed, en masse, molecular assessment of the activity of important families of enzymes.

Large scale correlations were carried out to test new hypotheses about the involvement of enzymes in networks that govern many important biochemical processes. With its success, the ENZYME MICROARRAYS project has taken us another step closer to a more fundamental understanding of the mechanisms of life.

More information: Project factsheet cordis.europa.eu/projects/rcn/79163_en.html

Provided by CORDIS

Citation: New steps in the quest to break the code of life (2013, August 21) retrieved 19 March 2024 from https://phys.org/news/2013-08-quest-code-life.html
This document is subject to copyright. Apart from any fair dealing for the purpose of private study or research, no part may be reproduced without the written permission. The content is provided for information purposes only.

Explore further

Deciphering structure of NatA, an enzyme complex that modifies most human proteins

0 shares

Feedback to editors