PREFACE

  The Human Genome Project was completed in 2003. As a result of the International Consortium, it has been cleared that at most 30,000 genes encode functional proteins for constructing our human bodies and for keeping our healthy life. Four research teams on Bio-Medical Research Programs in our Tokyo Metropolitan Institute of Gerontology (TMIG) are especially working on screening of specific genes that may be involved in the mechanisms of aging and/or geriatric diseases.
  However, genes just hold information about the primary structures of proteins and the regulation of their expression. Functional molecules actually working in the living cells are proteins. Therefore, we think we need to analyze age-related alterations of all functional proteins in the living cells during aging to clarify the mechanisms of aging, and to assign disease-specific marker proteins for prevention of geriatric diseases.
  In the above situation, the TMIG-Proteomic Collaboration Center has been established in cooperation of TMIG proteome research unit with Shimadzu Corporation and Nippon Bio-Rad Laboratories to set up facilities for performing proteomic researches on gerontology and geriatrics.
  As the result of proteome research, a lot of data and research information has been accumulated in the research center. So we are also working on developing novel tools for proteome informatics to manage data and information obtained the proteome researches.