Trends in automation and mass spectrometry for proteomics

Mass spectrometry and database searching are at the core of proteomics. The emphasis on matrix-assisted laser desorption–ionization for high-throughput experiments might change as greater emphasis is placed on sequence. Two-dimensional chromatography coupled with electrospray mass spectrometry and data-dependent scanning on hybrid quadrupole time-of-flight mass spectrometers might be a more efficient and sensitive means of large-scale proteome studies.