PNNL

Abstract

The elucidation of critical functional pathways employed by pathogens and hosts during an infectious cycle is both challenging and central to our understanding of infectious diseases. In recent years, mass spectrometry-based proteomics has been used as a powerful tool to identify key pathogenesis-related proteins and pathways. Despite the analytical power of mass spectrometry-based technologies, samples must be appropriately prepared to characterize the functions of interest (e.g. host-response to a pathogen or a pathogen-response to a host). The preparation of these protein samples requires multiple decisions about what aspect of infection is being studied, and it may require the isolation of either host and/or pathogen cellular material.