In my research I focus on post-translational modifications (PTMs). They are alterations on a protein that changes the amino acid sequence into a functional proteoform. This has a drastic effect on the chemical properties of a protein. For example, it can change the 3D structure and the electrical charge. As a result, PTMs play an important role in cell regulation. However, abnormalities are linked to the development of various diseases, such as Alzheimer's Disease or cancer. To better understand these, it is important to understand which PTMs occur on the proteins and in which constellation. However, proteins are commonly divided into smaller parts, called peptides, during analysis. Due to this fragmentation, it is no longer possible to make statements about the constellation of PTMs.
To address this problem, I am building a tool that uses statistical methods to reconstruct the original proteoforms from the fragmented peptides. More information about my research project can be found on my page of the research school of Data Science and Engineering website.
