HUPO's founders see it as a post-genomic analogue of the Human Genome Organisation (HUGO). Its mission will be to increase awareness of, and support for, large-scale protein analysis, in scientific, political and financial circles.

HUGO was created in 1988 by publicly funded researchers who wanted to coordinate global efforts to sequence the genome. Now that the draft human genome sequence has been published, researchers are turning their attention to identifying the functions and expression patterns of the proteins encoded by the genes. It is generally believed that patterns of protein production — the proteome — will correlate with disease states, which may lead to new treatments.

"Proteins are central to our understanding of cellular function and disease processes, and without a concerted effort in proteomics, the fruits of genomics will go unrealized," says Ian Humphery-Smith of the University of Utrecht in the Netherlands, one of HUPO's founder members.

So far, the embryonic HUPO has created a Global Advisory Council to foster international cooperation, and two regional task-forces in Europe and Japan. An inaugural meeting will take place in the spring to define detailed objectives and to elect a president.