Proteomics is the large-scale study of proteins and their role in living cells and organisms. Mass spectrometry-based proteomics requires state of the art technology, in-house technical know-how, sustainable and robust workflow practices, successful and correct data interpretation, and data management. Therefore, researchers often depend on dedicated expert facilities for proteomics technology.
The project ‘European Proteomics Initiative Consortium’ (EPIC-XS) supports researchers by providing access to state-of-the-art proteomics equipment, allowing them to submit research proposals that make use of the proteomics technology offered by the project. All submitted proposals are peer-reviewed and the best projects are selected for access to EPIC-XS.
At the Vienna BioCenter, the Protein Chemistry Facility of IMP, IMBA, and GMI is a project partner and beneficiary of over 200,000 Euros. The Vienna BioCenter scientists will use these funds to develop novel technologies and software in support of state-of-the-art proteomics: “Our desire to understand the proteome has led to new technologies, which in turn has allowed mass spectrometry to address an ever-increasing array of biological questions”, said Karl Mechtler, head of the Protein Chemistry Facility. “The journey from single-protein analysis to a true understanding of the proteome will be long and challenging, but also exciting.”
EPIC-XS started in January 2019, is coordinated by Albert Heck of Utrecht University, and will run for a period of four years. It is a follow-up of the previous European proteomics infrastructure project PRIME-XS, which was completed in 2015.
EPIC-XS provides access to proteomics facilities throughout Europe and supports and expands the European proteomics community. Moreover, courses and training programs will enable new research communities to be trained in advanced proteomics technologies.
The EPIC-XS consortium consists of partners throughout Europe which have a proven track record in facilitating national and international research within their institutions. All partners share a common goal: to facilitate the development and sustainability of proteomics exploration to all life science researchers within the European Union.
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Links
Starting in spring 2019, requests for access to the facilities can be submitted via www.epic-xs.eu
More about Protein Chemistry at the Vienna BioCenter: http://cores.imp.ac.at/protein-chemistry/
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Project Partners
Utrecht University (co-ordinator); University of Bergen; University of Copenhagen; European Bioinformatics Institute; University of Cambridge; Flemish Institute for Biotechnology (VIB); Institut Pasteur; Functional Genomics Centre, Zurich; Spanish National Cancer Research Centre (CNIO); Centre for Genomic Regulation (CRG); Royal Institute of Technology; University of Tartu; Institute of Microbiology; Eberhard Karls University Tübingen; Technical University of Munich; Research Institute of Molecular Pathology (through shared facility with IMBA and GMI); European Institute of Oncology; Foundation of Research and Technology, Hellas.