Summary:
Since the discovery of the nucleic acid, molecular biology has made
tremendous progresses, achieving a lot of results.
Despite this, there is still a gap between the classical and traditional medical
approach and the molecular world. Inspired by the incredible wealth of data
generated by the "omics"-driven techniques and the “high-trouhgput
technologies” (HTTs), I have tried to develop a protocol that could reduce
the actually extant barrier between the phenomenological medicine and the
molecular medicine, facilitating a translational shift from the lab to the
patient bedside. I also felt the urgent need to integrate the most important
omics sciences, that is to say genomics and proteomics.
Nucleic Acid Programmable Protein Arrays (NAPPA) can do this, by
utilizing a complex mammalian cell free expression system to produce
proteins in situ. In alternative to fluorescent-labeled approaches a new label
free method, emerging from the combined utilization of three independent
and complementary nanobiotechnological approaches, appears capable to
analyze gene and protein function, gene-protein, gene-drug, protein-protein
and protein-drug interactions in studies promising for personalized
medicine. Quartz Micro Circuit nanogravimetry (QCM), based on frequency
and dissipation factor, mass spectrometry (MS) and anodic porous alumina
(APA) overcomes indeed the limits of correlated fluorescence detection
plagued by the background still present after extensive washes. Work is in
progress to further optimize this approach a homogeneous and well defined
bacterial cell free expression system able to realize the ambitious objective
to quantify the regulatory gene and protein networks in humans.
Implications for personalized medicine of the above label free protein array
using different test genes and proteins are reported in this PhD thesis.