Interactions among proteins can trigger chemical reactions within cells that play a key role in diseases and ailments such as cancer, immunodeficiency and others. The emerging field of proteomics - the study of protein location, interaction, structure and function - aims to identify and characterise the proteins present in normal and diseased biological samples. Abnormalities in protein production or function have been connected to many diseases and health conditions, so the ability to modulate proteins represents an attractive target for drug design. Read about proteomics in the Reviews section of Issue 2 of VETERINARY SCIENCES TOMORROW.

The Canadian based MDS Inc. is an international health and life sciences company with a subsidiary, MDS Proteomics Inc., that is and a recognised leader in proteomics research. The company's approach bridges genomics to drug discovery by determining how proteins function at the cellular level and understanding their interaction. Thus, they focus on functional proteomics. MDS Proteomics has created an integrated functional proteomics and drug discovery platform to reveal cellular pathways, identify novel targets and discover and advance the development of new therapeutic drugs and diagnostic products.

MDS Proteomics has recently opened a new facility in Odense, Denmark, where scientists aim to enhance the understanding of how proteins function at a cellular level. The company is also expanding its Canadian headquarters in Toronto and facilities are being development in Boston, Massachusetts. MDS Proteomics also has a facility in Charlottesville, North Carolina.

The new Denmark facility will become a major centre of proteomics research. It has more than 60 scientists working in the 2,800 m2 building, which houses customised mass spectrometers and one of the largest Linux clusters in the world - 101 computers, each with 2 x 1Ghz CPU and 2 GB ram.

MDS Proteomics believes that by increasing their number of research bases, and by expanding outside North America and Canada, they will be able to attract the most talented scientists located in major biotechnology centres around the world.

This report may be read in full at LabVelocity's News Pages.
20 March 2001