Global proteomics experts convene for research conference

Leading researchers in the field of proteomics convened at Qatar National Library for a two-day conference organised by Weill Cornell Medicine-Qatar (WCM-Q).Researchers from Qatar, Switzerland, Germany, Spain, Sweden, the US, Canada and South Africa were in attendance at the 2nd WCM-Q Proteomics Conference to discuss the latest discoveries in proteomics, a branch of molecular biology that studies the set of proteins expressed by the genome of an organism.Proteomics is considered an important field because it helps researchers understand the roles played by proteins in healthy and unhealthy cells, giving insight into fundamental biological processes.Proteomics has many potential applications, including in personalised medicine, biomarker discovery to aid diagnosis of diseases, identifying potential targets for development of new drugs, and characterising complex molecular pathways that lead to disease, among other uses.Proteomics has also played a key role during the Covid-19 pandemic, providing tools for researchers to analyse and understand the characteristics of Covid-19 and the Sars-CoV-2 virus at the molecular level, which aided vaccine design.The conference began with welcoming remarks by Dr Javaid Sheikh, dean of WCM-Q, and Dr Mohammed Jarrar, senior scientific expert at the Qatar Research, Development and Innovation (QRDI) Council.The main sponsor of the conference was Qatar National Research Fund. There were also introductory remarks by the conference organisers, Prof Dr Frank Schmidt, associate professor of biology and director of the proteomics core, and Dr Karsten Suhre, professor of physiology and biophysics and director of the bioinformatics core, both of WCM-Q.Dr Sheikh said: "It is extremely gratifying to welcome so many eminent researchers in such an important field of discovery to Qatar to share their expertise in proteomics. We are very grateful to QNRF and the QRDI Council for sponsoring this conference, as we are to Qatar Foundation and the leadership of Qatar for their stalwart support for our mission to conduct cutting-edge biomedical research in Qatar. We believe this area of research offers huge potential for enhancing healthcare and improving our understanding of biology at the fundamental level.”In addition to providing updates of important advances in proteomics, the conference also presented an opportunity for researchers to meet and discuss potential collaborations on future research projects.