When considering the construction of a controlled vocabulary of scientific keywords, does Proteomics fall within the fields of Molecular Biology or Genetics? For my purposes I am considering Genomics and Genetics synonymous and Molecular Biology it's own top level category. Should Proteomics be treated as a distinct discipline alongside Genetics/Genomics and Molecular Biology?
Yes, Proteomics is a distinct discipline. Proteomics, Genomics, and Metabolomics are used as terms to describe the study of proteins, genes, or metabolites.
The difficulty lies in trying to categorize proteins, genes, and metabolites into separate and distinct disciplines. These OMICS (proteomics, genomics, and metabolomics) are highly integrated throughout physiology/biochemistry. Metabolites are downstream products of protein function. How would one classify the study of proteins that regulate gene expression through cytosine methylation, since it would be both proteomic and genomic? As you have listed, a molecular biologist can study proteins or genes in a given field such as cancer or liver toxicology. For a general rule, use the OMICS terms as a reference to the main focus of your research in a given discipline, such as molecular biology or analytical biochemistry, which is applied to a certain field (ie. cancer or ageing).
Yes, Proteomics is a distinct discipline. Proteomics, Genomics, and Metabolomics are used as terms to describe the study of proteins, genes, or metabolites.
The difficulty lies in trying to categorize proteins, genes, and metabolites into separate and distinct disciplines. These OMICS (proteomics, genomics, and metabolomics) are highly integrated throughout physiology/biochemistry. Metabolites are downstream products of protein function. How would one classify the study of proteins that regulate gene expression through cytosine methylation, since it would be both proteomic and genomic? As you have listed, a molecular biologist can study proteins or genes in a given field such as cancer or liver toxicology. For a general rule, use the OMICS terms as a reference to the main focus of your research in a given discipline, such as molecular biology or analytical biochemistry, which is applied to a certain field (ie. cancer or ageing).
I would consider Proteomics to be a field of research on its own, there are many things that the proteome can tell one about that DNA and RNA alone can not answer. Based on this I would say it is a discipline of it own.
There are a few good Journals on Proteomics by Prof. Bongani Ndimba, you can look them up and it may help you find the answer to your question. Goodluck
Jack! its a thought provoking question. Thanks for it. In my opinion Proteomics is more closely placed with molecular biology and former could be considered as subdiscipline of latter as most of the metabolites have protein or aminoacid component. For now proteomics is a sub-discipline, but the days are not far away before it becomes a giant branch on its own especially with its role in cancer therapy, role in immunity and epigenetic control. More molecular, clinical and biological applications are evolving out of proteomics, so in future its definitely a distinct discipline but for now it goes together with metabolomics
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