STAGE-Diging in Proteomics.

Proteomics is nowadays a standard tool in life sciences for the analysis of protein abundance, modifications and interactions but has so far failed to enter the clinic for routine applications. New generation mass spectrometers and chromatographic systems are able to cover approximately an entire cell proteome in one run but sample preparation, in terms of time and sample recovery, is still a critical step. Here we describe a modification of the in-gel digestion method, called STAGE-diging, that reduces sample handling, decreases the analysis time and improves protein identification and quantification. This method is particularly useful for those research labs that manage different biological samples and have a limited access to MS instrumentation or are required to perform high-throughput analysis in short time like a clinical laboratory.