PNNL

Abstract

Proteomics is a useful tool for addressing numerous questions regarding any protein-containing sample. These questions can include indicators of production method or growth environment, such as whether a given organism is a wild or laboratory-adapted strain, or whether the growth medium used to culture a specific batch contains hydrolyzed milk casein or other components that can be used to narrow down the potential source of a given microbial sample. In addition, proteomics can address not only whether a protein toxin such as ricin is present in a given sample, but also collect information on other untargeted proteinaceous sample components, providing additional forensic context. This chapter briefly introduces proteomics methods and provides examples of bioforensic applications.