Speaker: Neil Kelleher, Walter and Mary E. Glass Professor of Molecular Biosciences; Professor of Chemistry, Weinberg College of Arts Sciences Professor of Medicine (Hematology & Oncology), Feinberg School of Medicine; Director, Northwestern Proteomics; Director, Chemistry of Life Processes Institute

Presentation Title: Automation and the Future of Proteomics

Date and Time: Friday, January 10 at 12:00 PM CT

Location: Tech IEMS C211 and Zoom

Zoom Link: https://tinyurl.com/CRBSeminar

? NU-authenticated attendees will be automatically admitted. Others, please email amy.nedoss@northwestern.edu to be admitted from the waiting room.

Abstract:

Proteoform analysis is an emerging approach in proteomics that promises to significantly enhance our understanding of the role of protein complexity in human health. Proteoforms are protein variants originating from the same gene, distinguished by differences in amino acid sequence or modifications resulting from DNA variants, mRNA splicing, or post-translational changes like phosphorylation and acetylation. Proteoforms have been shown to be dynamically modulated in disease and therapeutic interventions and can exhibit high individual specificity. Consequently, characterizing proteoforms is crucial for advancing personalized, precision medicine. However, current mass spectrometry-based platforms for proteoform measurement can be highly variable in response to variations in sample handling, consumables, and protocols, preventing their application in large clinical or population-level studies. To address these limitations, the community is turning to automated sample introduction, preparation, and data collection platforms to 1) increase reproducibility, 2) increase throughput, and 3) increase compatibility with quality control testing for therapeutic biologics. This seminar will explore the latest technologies for systematic proteoform mapping and discuss potential avenues for future technological development in precision proteomics.

Bio:

Neil L. Kelleher, PhD primary research interests include top-down proteomics, natural products discovery, and cancer biology. Kelleher is the Director of the Chemistry of Life Processes Institute and Director of Northwestern Proteomics. He is a member of the Robert H. Lurie Comprehensive Cancer Center. His research group is focused on top-down proteomics, chromatin biology, and natural product biosynthesis and discovery. Contributing to both technology development and application of mass spectrometry in chemistry and biology, The Kelleher Research Group is interested in the biosynthesis and discovery of novel natural products with potential pharmacological activities. The lab leverages top-down proteomics--the analysis of intact proteins for precise localization of post-translational modifications -- to advance and contribute to the understanding of chromatin and cancer biology.

Kelleher is both a pioneer and champion of the top-down approach and the Human Proteoform Project (HPfP), a global research initiative to weigh every protein in the human body--250,000 proteoforms in 4,000 different cell types. HPfP will enable dramatic increases in the speed and efficiency by which investigators can identify higher-value protein-based markers of disease and spur game-changing advances in biomedical research, drug development and human health.

Throughout his career, Kelleher has received many honors, including the Arthur P. Sloan Foundation Fellowship, Packard Fellowship, Dreyfus Award for New Investigators, Camille Dreyfus Teacher-Scholar Award, Lilly Analytical Chemistry Award and National Institutes of Health Career Transition Award. He also was a Burroughs Wellcome Fund Young Investigator and a Searle Scholar. In 2004, he received the Presidential Early Career Award for Scientists and Engineers, the nation's highest honor for professionals at the outset of their independent research careers. Kelleher also co-founded several successful startups, including Nativetdms.org, IntegratedProteinTechnologies.com, Proteinaceous.net, and MicroMGX.com.

Kelleher has written more than 300 publications. The ProSight software suite developed by Kelleher is used by more than 1,000 labs around the world. An international leader in his field, Kelleher is the founder and president of the Consortium for Top-Down Proteomics, a 350-member organization with global reach.