2026 · European Journal of Applied Physiology · Springer · added 2026-04-21
Proteomics has matured into a discipline capable of quantifying nearly every protein encoded by the genome, yet it remains largely blind to the true operational units of physiology: proteoforms. Each Show more
Proteomics has matured into a discipline capable of quantifying nearly every protein encoded by the genome, yet it remains largely blind to the true operational units of physiology: proteoforms. Each proteoform—defined by a specific sequence and post-translationally modified state—represents a unique molecular identity with distinct chemical, functional, and structural properties. This review proposes the proteoform functor: a mathematical map between the abstract proteoform state space and the realised physiological space of biological function—and ultimately complex phenotypes. Show less