Proteomics is the large-scale study of
proteins, particularly their
structures and
functions. Proteins are vital parts of living organisms, as they are the main components of the physiological
metabolic pathways of
cells. The term
proteomics was first coined in 1997 to make an analogy with
genomics, the study of the
genome. The word
proteome is a
portmanteau of
protein and gen
ome, and was coined by
Marc Wilkins in 1994 while working on the concept as a PhD student.