Implementing high-resolution proteomics for System Biology in the Norwegian FUGE community

The Proteomics Core Facility (PCF) at Oslo University Hospital (OUH) is a provider of service in proteomics and protein chemistry within the Department of Immunology and is part of the Centre for Immune Regulation at OUH and University of Oslo (headed by Prof. L. M. Sollid). PCF is also a node within the Norwegian Proteomics Consortium (NorProteomics) which is a decentralized FUGE platform for proteomics research. PCF is currently headed by Dr. Gustavo de Souza, whom expertise in label-free quantitation m ethods using high-resolution instrumentation is unique in the Norwegian research community. The characterization of post-translational modifications had been PCF major research drive in recent years. However, as the demand for the implementation of large scale System Biology approaches increases, such is now currently desirable and at high priority. The PCF is a well established and accepted service provider within OUH research community. This is demonstrated that in 2010, the number of data analyzed had surpassed 400 samples from over 36 different groups, which is as much as the total number of analysis performed in 2008 and 2009 altogether. Similar service level was already achieved for the year of 2011. Such increase in service demand and the fact tha t two out of three of PCF instruments are outdated led the PCF to urgently acquire a high resolution mass spectrometer (Q-Exactive, Thermo Scientific) to keep its competitive balance in the local and national proteomic community. For proper implementatio n, PCF is now establishing a bilateral collaboration with the Dept. of Proteomics and Signal Transduction at the Max Planck Institute for Biochemistry, lead by Dr. Matthias Mann, a pioneer in the field of mass spectrometry-based proteomics. The collaborat ion will be done through the optimization of the instrumentation and the approach using an unique pilot project in Immunology/Autoimmunity, one of the strengths of the environment where PCF is located.