Protein Arrays:
A protein array refers to a high-throughput screening technique used to study protein interactions, identify protein functions, and investigate protein-protein interactions on a large scale. It involves immobilizing a large number of proteins onto a solid support, such as a glass slide or a microarray chip, in a spatially defined manner. These immobilized proteins act as probes to capture and detect other molecules, such as antibodies, small molecules, or other proteins.
Protein arrays can be used to analyze various aspects of proteins, including protein-protein interactions, protein-DNA interactions, protein-ligand binding, enzyme activities, and protein expression levels. They allow researchers to study thousands of proteins simultaneously in a single experiment, providing valuable insights into protein function and interactions.
There are different types of protein arrays, each with its own methodology and application. For example, antibody arrays utilize immobilized antibodies to detect and quantify specific proteins in a complex mixture, while protein-protein interaction arrays capture and identify protein-protein interactions by immobilizing one set of proteins and incubating them with a second set of proteins or protein fragments.
Protein arrays have applications in fields such as proteomics, drug discovery, diagnostics, and systems biology. They enable researchers to analyze protein interactions on a large scale and provide a valuable tool for studying protein function and understanding complex biological processes.