Multidimensional peptide separations in proteomics

Multidimensional peptide separation will play an increasingly important role in the drive to identify and quantitate the proteome. By increasing the peak and load capacity, multidimensional approaches increase the number and dynamic range of peptides that can be analyzed in a complex biological organism. Separation methods using different physical properties of peptides have been combined with varying degrees of success. The ultimate goal is a rapid separation strategy that can be coupled with analytical methods, such as mass spectrometry, to provide comprehensive monitoring of the changing concentration, interactions, and structures of proteins in the proteome.