With the theme of "Ptoteomics: Decoding the Genome", the third HUPO Annual World Congress was held in Beijing on October 25. Over 2, 000 well-known scientists including the two winners of Nobel Prize in chemistry and medicine, gather here to discuss human proteome, an undertaking grander and harder than human genome.

The conference, sponsored by Human Proteome Organization (HUPO), China Human Proteome Organization (CNHUPO). etc, is the largest international conference with the most widespread influence and the highest academic level. Experts will exchange academic ideas, report the latest progress and discuss the future of the subject.

The Chinese government has been attaching great importance to the research on and development of proteomics and constantly raised input in the field. Through years' efforts, China has achieved rapid progress and initiated a batch of significant research programs related to proteomics. Several proteome centers or key laboratories and correspondent technological platform have been established and professional team cultivated.

China established its national proteome organization and professional commission; a series of essays have been published by international core journals and received positive comments from international academic circle.

China-initiated Human Liver Proteome Project (HLPP) has been launched and going on; related significant programs have entered deployment.

Background Links

Research on proteome in the 1990s, which ushered in a post-genome era.

Proteome means all the protein expressed by one type of genome or all the protein expressed by one kind of organism and cell (tissue). In 1994, Australian scientists invented the concept of proteome. In 1995, the term ¡°proteome¡± meet the public for the first time.

The two Australian laboratories which proposed "proteome" established correspondent research centers. Till now the camp for research, from Australia alone in 1995, has expanded to ten countries including the United States, Denmark, Britain, France, Japan, Sweden, Italy and Germany. World famous universities such as Harvard, Stanford and Yale also joined the program.

The first complete proteome -- M. genitalium (MG) proteome -- was released in 2000. In the same year, the United States launched the "protein structure initiative". Human Proteome Organization (HUPO) was officially set up in 2001. HUPO World Congress was held for the first time in 2002 and the United States started clinical proteomics plan.

In November 2002, Human Plasma Proteome Project (HPPP), Human Liver Proteome Project (HLPP) etc. significant international programs were officially initiated. Over the two years afterwards came Human Brain Proteome Project (HBPP), mass antibiotics program and Proteomics Standards Initiative (PSI) and model animal proteome program.

China, the initiator of HLPP, shoulders 30 percent of the research. To date over 80 laboratories from 15 countries have joined the program, which is the first significant international cooperative plan China has ever led.