The growing field of targeted proteomics has reached another milestone on the way to large-scale application in industrial and academic research, following the publication in Nature Methods of a new tool designed to make the latest developments in the field more accessible.

The advancement is mProphet, a software package created by scientists from the Institute of Molecular Systems Biology in Zurich and Biognosys AG, a leading provider of proteomics solutions to industrial and academic partners. The software offers automated, standardized analysis of data gathered in selected reaction monitoring mass spectrometry (SRM) , or targeted proteomics.

As a prominent leader in proteomics, Dr. Ruedi Aebersold, shared, “The development of the mProphet software tool is highly significant for the emerging field of targeted proteomics because it will allow users to generate statistically validated data sets right from the outset.” Historically, researchers struggled to objectively analyze expansive, complex proteomics data. “The mProphet tool will avoid this pitfall for targeted proteomics and make data generated in different laboratories directly comparable. This matches last year’s Human Proteome Organization (HUPO) conference where the development of SRM assays for the whole human proteome was announced. Now we have everything in hand to broadly apply SRM proteomics”.

The publication further highlights the software’s ability to increase protein target sensitivity and specificity in SRM proteomics across a range of uses. “An ability that once only existed among a particular group of scientists is becoming broadly available for industrial, academic, and clinical organizations. This technology will increasingly be used in drug discovery, diagnostics, gene expression, crop science, metabolic research – basically any field related to proteins in any living organism”, said Dr. Oliver Rinner, CSO at Biognosys AG.

The software is already being used by academic laboratories and Biognosys. More information can be found at www.mprophet.org.