Advancing World-Leading Protein-Informed Medicine
The Chemistry of Life Processes Institute at Northwestern University pursues and applies precise knowledge of human proteins to combat ALS, Alzheimer's, Parkinson's, cancer, and other threats to human health. We also train the next generation of scientists to meet tomorrow's biggest biomedical challenges.
CLP is pioneering the greatest wave of biomedical innovation since the Human Genome Project opened the door for individualized medicine two decades ago.
Known as proteomics, this fast-growing field identifies and measures proteins and their various forms (proteoforms) that link genes and disease in order to diagnose and treat threats to human health.
When something goes wrong and we develop cancer, Alzheimer’s and other disorders, the problem is almost always manifested through proteins.
Despite their pivotal role, 99.9% of the body’s proteoforms remain undiscovered.
This lack of information about proteins limits progress in detecting and treating disease. CLP is uniquely equipped to close this gap by detecting and measuring “unknown” proteins with speed and accuracy.
Proteomics is poised to become the next genomics by 2030. CLP houses the premier center for proteomics under the leadership of Neil L. Kelleher, PhD, an internationally recognized expert in the field. Leveraging an unsurpassed capability to analyze proteins, the Institute is ready to launch the next era of precision medicine.
Launching the Next Biomedical Moonshot
CLP is the international leader of the Human Proteoform Project, a massive 10-year, $3 billion initiative. Like the Human Genome Project mapping of genes, the Human Proteoform Project will map human proteins and create a dynamic atlas of all the proteoforms in organs, tissues and blood while concurrently advancing technology to simplify analyses and reduce cost. The Human Proteoform Project will transform medicine by unlocking:
- Greater understanding of the precise changes in proteins and their many forms that cause disease
- Identification of new proteoform-enabled targets for drug development and delivery
- A new class of precision drugs diagnostics to better treat and catch disease earlier
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