Chromatographic Techniques for the Separation of Peptides: Application to Proteomics

The greatest challenge for proteomics is the inherently complex nature of cellular proteomes as they are highly dynamic entities. High performance liquid chromatography is an indispensable tool in proteomics research, providing high-speed, high sensitivity separation and good resolution of proteins and peptides. Chromatographic sciences have played an animated, bustling and critical role in many fields, the next challenging analytical project for the chromatographic scientists is in the area of proteomics. Which type of analysis best determines the optimal separation technique for any proteomic study? The aim of this review is to outline the different chromatographic strategies that have been employed for analysis of complex mixtures of proteins/peptides, highlighting the role of liquid chromatography coupled to mass spectrometry.