The Centre for Applied Proteomics (ZAP) is positioned on the interface between fundamental academic research in the area of protein analysis and industrial utilisation and further development in pharmaceutics, biology, chemistry and associated sciences.

The ZAP was established in 2006 as part of the Life Sciences Innovation Platform Dortmund. The project enables the scientists involved to develop novel instruments and methods in order to be able to arrive at more detailed and meaningful analyses of all the proteins expressed in a cell, their regulation and the networks with which they interact. By means of more exact predictions in early, partly preclinical medication development, it is possible later for example to reduce undesirable side-effects of future medicines or to determine their specificity more precisely

The goal of the Centre is the linking and fast transfer of the research and development results of these future technologies to commercial applications. This will create the essential basis for the development of new cutting-edge technologies and new products in Dortmund.