Method of the Year 2009

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In 2007 we chose Next Generation Sequencing.
In 2008 we chose Super-resolution Imaging.

Now it is time for you, our readers, to help us choose the Method of the Year 2009. Just sign in using your free nature.com registration and vote on our Methods to Watch from previous years or a paper that a visitor has recommended.

Alternatively, you can recommend a paper that represents a method you believe came into its own in 2009 and will have a wide-ranging impact on biology. This paper can be any recently published paper from this year or past years published in any journal. Just provide a link to the paper or other online description of the method and vote away!

Want more information or want to comment? Read the editorial or go to our blog methagora and comment.

• 36 votes

  Proteomics

  • • 34+ votes

      2- votes

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  • Full Dynamic Range Proteome Analysis of S. cerevisiae by Targeted Proteomics

    • 
      Original article citation: Cell 138," 795 - 806, (2009).

    • Categories: Proteomics, Genetics and genomics, and Systems biology
    • Recommended by : Herman Altenried on 11/05/2009 02:42AM GMT
      
      The publication shows that by using MRM based targeted proteomics an unsurpassed sensitivity, reproducibility and throughput in proteomics experiments is achieved. This is the first glimpse into the future of proteomics!!
    • Comment on this subject: 0 comments made

• 2 votes

  Others

  • • 2+ votes

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  • Direct RNA sequencing

    • 
      Original article citation: Nature 461," 814 - 818, (2009).

    • Categories: Others, Genetics and genomics, Cell biology, and Synthetic biology
    • Recommended by : Bekir Ulker on 11/03/2009 06:10PM GMT
      
      Direct RNA sequencing without converting RNA to cDNA, a long desired method now on the edge of being readily available to scientists. This method eliminates the biases, complexity and errors introduced by nucleic acid amplification and requires minute amounts of starting RNA material. This method would lead to major surprises and discoveries in RNA processing as well as various RNA species that organisms might have and the biological roles.
    • Comment on this subject: 0 comments made

• 5 votes

  Proteomics

  • • 4+ votes

      1- votes

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  • Preparative gel electrophoresis of native metalloproteins

    • Bernd Kastenholz
      Original article citation: The American Electrophoresis Society Newsletter 14," 2 - 3, (2009).

    • Categories: Proteomics, Biotechnology, and Neuroscience
    • Recommended by : Bernd Kastenholz on 10/24/2009 10:59AM GMT
      
      Preparative gel electrophoresis of native metalloproteins is an essential method for elucidating the structures of misfolded metalloproteins in complex protein mixtures. Thus, this method may contribute to an early diagnosis and therapy of protein-misfolding diseases (e.g., Alzheimer's disease) and help to develop new medications from medicinal plants.
    • Comment on this subject: 0 comments made

• 15 votes

  Cell biology

  • • 9+ votes

      6- votes

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  • Global identification of yeast chromosome interactions using Genome conformation capture

    • 
      Original article citation: Fungal Genetics and Biology 46," 879 - 886, (2009).

    • Categories: Cell biology, Biotechnology, Genetics and genomics, and Systems biology
    • Recommended by : Cliff Dawson on 10/23/2009 01:06AM GMT
      
      Genome conformation capture (GCC) is a powerful method to uncover inter- and intra- chromosomal interactions that underlie genome architecture, in any cell, under any condition. This method utilises next-generation sequencing, and is the first described method of its type, with the Hi-C (Lieberman-Aiden et al) method following shortly after. Analyses reveal exciting prospects for cell biology.
    • Comment on this subject: 0 comments made

• 31 votes

  Cell biology

  • • 21+ votes

      10- votes

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  • Comprehensive Mapping of Long-Range Interactions Reveals Folding Principles of the Human Genome

    • 
      Original article citation: Science 326," 289 - 293, (2009).

    • Categories: Cell biology and Genetics and genomics
    • Recommended by : David Galas on 10/21/2009 03:43PM GMT
      
      The added power of this modified method to lay out the 3D arrangement of the chromosomes of the genome in the nucleus is a major advance. we had some information before this, but now we can look at the full arrangement, in any cells, underany conditions. Very clever technique coupled with beautiful computational analysis.
    • Comment on this subject: 0 comments made

• 191 votes

  Proteomics

  • • 174+ votes

      17- votes

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  • Extensive Analysis of the Cytoplasmic Proteome of Human Erythrocytes Using the Peptide Ligand Library Technology and Advanced Mass Spectrometry

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      Original article citation: Molecular & Cellular Proteomics 7," 2254 - 2269, (2008).

    • Categories: Proteomics and Protein biochemistry
    • Recommended by : Roberto Sebastiano on 09/18/2009 10:47AM GMT
      
      This combinatorial peptide ligand library is an extraordinary methodology that will certainly make a big revolution in the field of proteomics! Who would have ever thought that RBCs would contain in the minority cytoplasmic proteome no less than 1578 unique gene product? Great piece of work.
    • Comment on this subject: 3 comments made

• 20 votes

  Biotechnology

  • • 13+ votes

      7- votes

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  • A 3D digital atlas of C. elegans and its application to single-cell analyses

    • 
      Original article citation: Nat Meth 6," 667 - 672, (2009).

    • Categories: Biotechnology, Genetics and genomics, Systems biology, and Cell biology
    • Recommended by : Hanchuan Peng on 09/09/2009 02:45AM GMT
      
      Isn't it a cool thing to be able to target individual cells uniquely and unambiguously?
    • Comment on this subject: 2 comments made

• 11 votes

  Proteomics

  • • 2+ votes

      9- votes

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  • Universal sample preparation method for proteome analysis

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      Original article citation: Nat Meth 6," 359 - 362, (2009).

    • Categories: Proteomics, Biotechnology, Protein biochemistry, and Systems biology
    • Recommended by : Peter Nollert on 08/24/2009 11:54PM GMT
      
      1. the filter-aided sample preparation method impacts the 'forgotten half' of proteomics: membrane proteins & their complexes 2. the method described is *very* simple: SDS & urea reagent and a MWCO filter; no new tools required at all
    • Comment on this subject: 1 comment made

• 6 votes

  Proteomics

  • • 2+ votes

      4- votes

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  • Peptide Microarrays

    • Ramars Amanchy
      Original article citation: Journal of Proteome research 7," 3900 - 3910, (2008).

    • Categories: Proteomics, Biotechnology, Protein biochemistry, and Chemical biology
    • Recommended by : Ramars Amanchy on 08/24/2009 09:09PM GMT
      
      1. Peptide microarrays is a new technology with tremendous potential 2. Tremendous impact 3. Multitude of applications 4. Complements tradional kinase motif finding algorithms and techniques. 5. cancer/Kinase profiling
    • Comment on this subject: 1 comment made

• 62 votes

  Biotechnology

  • • 36+ votes

      26- votes

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  • Development of an Inhibitor Screening Platform via Mass Spectrometry

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      Original article citation: Journal of Biomolecular Screening 13," 1007 - 1013, (2008).

    • Categories: Biotechnology, Protein biochemistry, and Proteomics
    • Recommended by : Rakesh Rathore on 08/20/2009 05:19PM GMT
      
      -MALDI-QqQMS readout is a direct measurement of the substrate and the product, this readout eliminates false positive and false negative inhibitor in HTS. -Provides comparable speeds, with superior signal-to-background, better reproducibility and a reagent cost of about 3 cents per well versus 60 cents per well for the fluorescent readout. -Have a real potential of opening an entirely new service application to the Drug Discovery research.
    • Comment on this subject: 3 comments made

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