MASS SPECTROMETRY IN SYSTEMS BIOLOGY: AN OVERVIEW

As an emerging field, systems biology, is currently, the talk of the town, which challenges our philosophy, in comprehending biology. Instead of the reduction approach advocated in molecular biology;, systems biology, aims at system-level understanding of correlations among molecular components. Such comprehensive investigation requires massive information front the omics cascade demanding high-throughput screening techniques. Being one of the most versatile analytical methods, mass spectrometry has already, been playing a significant role at this early stage of systems biology. In this review, we documented the advances in modern mass spectrometry technologies as well as nascent inventions. Recent applications of mass spectrometry-based techniques and methodologies in genomics, proteomics, transcriptomics and metabolomics will be further elaborated individually. Undoubtedly, more applications of mass spectrometry in systems biology can be expected in the near future. (C) 2008 Wiley Periodicals, Inc., Mass Spec Rev 27:635-660, 2008