Origins of NPC

 Prof. Dr. Albert Heck initiated the Netherlands Proteomics Centre in 2003 and has been acting as its scientific director since then. He is head of the Biomolecular Mass Spectrometry & Proteomics group in Utrecht and holds the chair of Biomolecular Mass Spectrometry at Utrecht University.

NPC Enables Proteomics Research and Expertise

 Albert Heck: “The Netherlands Proteomics Centre (NPC) has given an enormous boost to proteomics research in the Netherlands. Until then, proteomics efforts had only been performed on a limited scale due to the high costs. The NPC brings together state-of-the-art proteomics expertise and proteomics research in an effective and well-organised way.”

NPC Pivot in Proteomics Knowledge Transfer

The Netherlands Proteomics Centre is a platform for hypothesis-driven research. It develops technologies and tools for researchers and product developers in knowledge institutes and industry. Albert Heck explains: “The NPC encompasses all aspects of knowledge and transfer of knowledge. From education through genomics- and proteomics-based bachelor, master and PhD curricula to collaborative research projects with scientific and industrial outcomes.”

Albert Heck: “From Genomics to Proteomics”

According to Albert Heck, the sequencing of the human genome and many other genomes has initiated a new age in human biology. It offers unprecedented opportunities to improve human health and to stimulate scientific, industrial and economic activity. “As a result of this historical landmark in science, the emphasis is now rapidly moving to the biological interpretation of the genome sequence information. This biological interpretation encompasses the immense tasks of identifying structure, function and interactions of the gene products, in other words the proteins, and their role in biological processes. Proteomics plays an essential part in this interpretation.”

Albert Heck continues: “Proteomics is the application of evolving technologies to analyse proteins on a large scale and to measure protein expression profiles and protein modifications. It also analyses networks related to protein development, health/disease and other biological processes. The core activity of the NPC project is the research in this innovative field and its rapid implementation into biological and biomedical research and applications”.