ABSTRACT
Proteomics and metabolomics are rapidly evolving disciplines that have great potential to provide fundamental insights into the biology of the first 1,000 days of child growth and development. In 2003, the Human Genome Project, which had the goal of mapping all the genes of the human genome, was declared complete. The goals of proteomics include the detection of the diversity of proteins, their quantity, their isoforms, and the localization and interactions of proteins. The technology to investigate the immense complexity of the proteome and metabolome has advanced rapidly over the last several years. Bioinformatics has played a vital role in the acceleration of proteomics and metabolomics. In using a proteomic approach to understanding health, the investigator can pose a question about a certain disease phenotype. Metabolomics has been more widely applied to infant and child health than proteomics. A targeted metabolomics approach was used to gain insight into the pathophysiology of kwashiorkor and marasmus in children in Malawi.
