Spatial proteomics

The average human cell contains roughly 10,000 different proteins, and to understand how cells function, you have to work out what those proteins interact with — and where. With advances in high-resolution imaging, mass spectrometry and machine-learning-assisted data analysis, spatial-proteomics researchers are mapping and tracking proteins with increasing detail at multiple scales, from subcellular compartments to tissues. The work is challenging and data-intensive, but findings have yielded insights into cellular biology and disease progression — not to mention, potential therapeutic strategies.