ABOUT ZCP
INTRODUCTION:
The word “proteomics” was coined in early 1990s by the Macquarie University PhD candidate, Marc Wilkins and the science itself had its origins in electrophoretic separation technique of the 1970’s and 1980’s. The term is an alternative to the phrase “the protein complement of the genome”. The word “proteome” is now firmly established in mainstream scientific vernacular, and is the key technology in post-genomic era.
Proteomics is the systematic study of the many and diverse properties of proteins in a parallel manner with the aim of providing detailed descriptions of the structure function and control of biological systems in health and disease. Advances in methods and technologies have catalyzed an expansion of the scope of biological studies from the reductionist biochemical analysis of single proteins to proteome-wide measurements. Proteomics and other complementary methods are essential components of the emerging ‘systems biology’ approach that seeks to comprehensively describe biological systems through integration of diverse types of data and, in the future, to ultimately allow computational simulations of complex biological systems.
Establishment of Dr. Zafar H. Zaidi Centre for Proteomics (formally known as National Center for Proteomics), at University of Karachi is a milestone in field of biological sciences in Pakistan. The aim is to make use of recent revolutionary breakthroughs in the technologies of proteomics and implementing these in relevant areas of biological research. The mandate of the institute is to serve as a core facility to fulfill the investigators’ and researchers’ needs related to area of proteomics and allied sciences including biochemists, cell biologists, pharmacologists and clinicians.
HISTORY:
Dr. Zafar H. Zaidi Center for Proteomics (formally known as National Center for Proteomics), University of Karachi was established under a development grant provided by planning commission in 2004. Total funds allocated for the same were Rs. 169.5 million. The construction of building was initiated in 2005. The institute came into existence in the beginning of 2008 and was inaugurated by the Chancellor of University of Karachi, Dr. Ishrat-ul-Ebad (Governor of Sindh) on 1st March 2008. The institute became functional almost a year later and has employed dedicated and devoted scientists.