The Mexican Proteomics Society was founded in 2005 by a group of Mexican Researchers led by Drs. Cesar Batista and Sergio Encarnaríon, working in the area of Proteomics with the aim to strengthen and promote the field in this country and to build a community among emerging national proteomics laboratories for the exchange of services, ideas and the training of students; bringing together a multi-disciplinary membership from groups working on human disease to those engaged in understanding plant stress tolerance. The first achievement of the Societies executive committee was to organize the 1st Mexican Symposium of Mass Spectrometry – Cellular and Molecular Proteomics, in parallel with a short theoretical course on the Fundamental of Mass Spectroscopy Applied to Proteomics. These events took place at the Hacienda Cocoyoc in Morelos, from the 19th to the 22nd of October in 2005. More than ten international scientists at the forefront in proteomics were invited to present their work at the meeting, along with speakers from Industry and national scientists who promoted the field of Proteomics in Mexico. The meeting attracted 80 delegates and was considered a highly successful achievement for the founding Society. The event was also attended by 20 students who were enrolled in the joint Howard Hughes Medical Institute and the Instituto de Biotecnologia course on “Genomic and Post-genomic approaches to study virus-host cell interactions”, which took place in Cuernavaca, Morelos from October 5th to the 21st, 2005.

From this exciting start the Society has gone on to have two more successful biannual meetings. The 2007 meeting was held in the city of Guanajuato, in the State of Guanajuato from the 4th to 9th of November, and again included a noteworthy list of International invited speakers and industry participation. The most recent meeting was held in 2009 in the city of San Luis Potosi in the state of the same name, from the 8th to 12th of November and as well as attracting Internationally renowned scientists, this meeting showcased a remarkable number of national scientists who are now working in the proteomics field.

To fulfill the Societies aim to promote Proteomics teaching and technology to the next generation the 1st Mexican Proteomics Theoretical and Practical Course was held in Cuernavaca, from April 20th to 24th, 2009. Invited speakers to the theoretical course included A. Yergey, F. Fernandez, L. Burchfield, and I. Mohtashemi, as well as representation from Industry. The practical course was organized and taught by key members of the Mexican Proteomics Society. Students from all over Mexico attended the 5 day course and as well as classroom lectures, students were given hands on experience in 2D-PAGE and Quantitative proteomics employing DIGE as well as an introduction to Mass Spectroscopy.

The Society also strongly believes in stimulating young scientists carrying out their Master’s or Ph.D. to continue in the field of proteomics by supporting research training exchanges with labs outside Mexico. In 2005 they opened the first Mexican Society of Proteomics, Young Investigator Award to sponsor a student member to work in a lab of their choice for a period of 3 weeks. The winner of this first prize was the Masters Student Maria Cristina Miranda Vergara, who travelled to Oxford to work in the Proteomics lab of the Department of Plant Sciences.

 During the 6 year period it has been in existence the Society’s membership has increased from 39 members at its 2005 meeting to its 2010 level of 54 members.