In synthetic chemistry, a few reactants are mixed with a solvent, placed in a vessel and allowed to react for a specified time under defined conditions. Spectroscopic methods are then used for the analysis of the resulting mixture as a whole, or of individual compounds upon isolation if more detailed information is required. Proteomics – the study of the proteins present in a cell, tissue, or organism – follows the same general concept. It has to operate on a very different scale, however. Specifically, it needs to account for the potential presence of millions of compounds in the sample, deal with the dramatically increased number of possibilities of reactions, or interactions, between these compounds, and keep track of any quantitative changes they may undergo. Nonetheless, basic chemical principles still apply, and spectroscopic methods can still be used for sample analysis. Due to the vastly increased numbers of compounds, an analytical technique capable of handling complex mixtures and distinguishing compounds by inherent molecular and submolecular characteristics would be highly preferential for proteome research.
