Prof. Hancock is the founding Editor-in-Chief of the ACS publication, Journal of Proteomic Research, which is a leading journal publishing research in related areas of functional genomics, proteomic methodological research, disease and agricultural proteomics as well as metabanomics. His research focused on applying new analytical technology to current problems in the biotechnology industry as well as cancer proteomics and the plasma proteome.
Prof. Hancock co-led the international, collaborative initiative called the Chromosome-Centric Human Proteome Project (C-HPP) which enlisted 24 national teams, each focusing their efforts on the proteins contained on a single chromosome—each of which contains hundreds to thousands of genes. His team, which includes Stanford, Michigan and Manitoba University, characterized the proteins on chromosome number 17, including the important breast cancer gene, ERBB2. Ultimately, the goal is to have a full protein database, which will help clinicians analyze a patient’s true biological state and design targeted therapies for their conditions.
In 2012, the Journal of Proteome Research published a special issue which contained 35 papers describing progress by the chromosome teams and in 2013 there have been dedicated chromosome meetings in Berlin and Yokohama with further progress on the initial phase of the project. In conclusion, the initiative has been launched, and the momentum has been very strong with substantial global resources committed to the project.