The book addresses the most recent developments in structural and functional proteomics underlying the recent contributions given in these areas by our laboratory to the instrumentations, the methods and the procedures as mutuated from the nanoscale sciences and technologies. These developments introduced in the last few years make now possible protein massive identification (mass spectrometry and biomolecular arrays down to nanoamounts) and protein structural characterization in solution and in crystals down to the atomic scale to an extent and to a degree so far unmatched. Emphasis is placed in the growth by nanobiofilm template of protein crystals of any type and size from millimeter to micron, leading in combination with microfocus synchrotron technology and atomic force microscopy to the definition of a new field called nanocrystallography. The few useful examples being shown, concerning yet structurally unsolved proteins, point this very promising approach nanotechnology-based in structural proteomics using highly focused X-rays. This has not to be confused with the important study of nanocrystals, both organic and inorganic, and novel diamond like nanocomposite materials and devices having 3D protein crystals as matrices to be equilibrated with nanoparticles/gold/silver to be utilized in the most diversified electronic applications here also summarized. vii Acknowledgments We are particularly grateful to Giuseppe Zanotti at the University of Padova for his fundamental collaboration during all the crystallographic studies.

Springer Book Archives

1 The New Frontier at the Crossing of life and Physical Sciences.- 2 State of the Art in Proteomics, Crystallography and Nanobiotechnology.- 2.1 Methods of Protein Production.- 2.2 Methods for Protein Identification.- 2.3 Methods of Protein Crystallization.- 2.4 Methods of Crystal Structure Determination.- 2.5 Other Methods of Protein Structure Investigation.- 2.6 Methods of Protein Immobilization In Solid Thin Films.- 3 Nanocrystallography.- 3.1 Nanobiofilms Template.- 3.2 Atomic Force Microscopy.- 3.3 Synchrotron Radiation.- 3.4 From Art to Science With Protein Nanocrystallography.- 4 From Art to Science in Protein Crystallography.- 4.1 New Method Validation With Lysozyme as a Model Protein.- 4.2 Yet Unresolved Proteins: Bovine Cytochrome P450scc.- 4.3 Yet unresolved proteins: Human kinase CK2? Catalytic Subunit.- 4.4 Conclusions.- 5 From Science Technology in Proteomics.- 5.1 Automated Mass Spectrometry.- 5.2 Biomolecular Arrays.- 5.3 Unsolved Protein Structures of Scientific and Industrial Interest.- 6 Future Trends.- 6.1 Novel Composite Biomaterials and Nanodevices.- 6.2 nanocrystals.- References.