7th HUPO World Congress

The 7th World Congress of the Human Proteome Organisation, HUPO, will be held at the RAI Congress Centre in Amsterdam, the Netherlands, from 16-20 August 2008.

The event offers a dense program consisting of:

• An exciting scientific program documenting the tremendous progress, the current challenges and the major recent accomplishments of proteomics
• An exhibition in which all the major vendors in the field of proteomics from around the globe will showcase their products and services
• Educational and training events in which new proteomic technologies are introduced and taught
• A series of workshops and discussion forums of all HUPO sanctioned initiatives

The theme of the meeting is “Proteome Biology”. In spite of the amazing complexity of the proteome, the field of proteomics has matured to a degree where significant progress in biology and medicine can be realised. This expectation is based on rapid progress in the development of powerful proteomics technologies that increasingly contribute to the editing of comprehensive maps of the various cells’ proteomes and move forward the boundaries of the “terra incognita”. The title of the meeting also indicates the need for proteomics to progress beyond identifying the building blocks of the proteome towards understanding of how the complex biological functions of a cell are orchestrated via intricate networks of proteins interacting with themselves and other types of biomolecules. A central theme of the congress is to relate or integrate the structural, functional and dynamic properties of various cellular proteomes to overall phenotypes, including human diseases.

Traditionally, the HUPO World Congress has served as a forum for the world proteomics community to discuss strategies, policies and directions of the field. At the 7th HUPO World Congress in Amsterdam, around 10 HUPO sanctioned initiatives will hold workshops to discuss the current status and future directions of the field. These include the Proteome Standards Initiative (PSI) which is focused on the development and dissemination of standardised data formats for proteomics. Other HUPO Initiatives take a disease or organ-oriented approach such as the Brain, Liver, Stem cells and Plasma Proteome Initiatives. Moreover, plans will be revealed and discussed concerning a potential global Human Proteome Project. Collectively, these forums will determine to a significant extent the direction of proteomics research for the immediate future.

Scientific progress depends on the interaction of scientists and the free exchange of ideas and data. It is expected that the meeting will attract close to 2,000 participants, who will be able to attend more than 150 oral presentations, and close to 1,500 poster presentations. More than 50 exhibitioners partner up with HUPO at this meeting, making it a not-to-miss event for anyone interested in proteome biology. The conference environment will present ample opportunities to interact with leading figures in the field. Further information, details about registration and the program can all be found at http://www.hupo2008.nl.

The 7th HUPO World Congress welcomes all researchers with an interest in proteomics to Amsterdam, a city of culture, pleasure and heritage.