3. Metabolimics
• Metabolomics is the study of all the small molecules or metabolites in
an organism or biological sample.
• It involves the quantitative measurement of metabolites and the
analysis of changes in their levels over time or under different
conditions.
• It aims to understand the metabolic processes and pathways
occurring in an organism by examining the dynamic changes in
metabolite levels in response to external or internal stimuli.
4. Application of Metabolimics
• Applications of metabolomics include:
• Biomarker discovery: Metabolomics can be used to identify specific
metabolites that can serve as biomarkers for diseases or conditions,
such as cancer, diabetes, or metabolic disorders.
• Drug discovery: Metabolomics can help identify new drug targets and
evaluate the effectiveness of drugs by measuring changes in
metabolites.
5. • Environmental monitoring: Metabolomics can be used to monitor
the effects of pollutants or toxins on organisms by measuring changes
in metabolite levels.
• Agriculture and food science: Metabolomics can be used to optimize
crop yields and improve food quality by understanding the metabolic
processes involved in plant growth and development.
• Personalized medicine: Metabolomics can be used to tailor
treatments to individual patients by identifying metabolic pathways
that are unique to each patient.
6. • Cancer Research: Metabolomics contributes to cancer research
by identifying metabolic alterations associated with different
types of cancer. It aids in understanding the underlying
mechanisms of cancer progression and developing new
diagnostic and therapeutic approaches.
• Microbiome Studies: Metabolomics helps in understanding the
role of microbial communities in human health and disease. By
analyzing the metabolites produced by microorganisms in the
gut or other environments, researchers can gain insights into
the metabolic interactions between host and microbiota.
• Metabolic phenotyping: Metabolomics can be used to
characterize the metabolic profiles of individuals or
populations to understand metabolic diversity and variation.
7. • Neuroscience research: Metabolomics can be applied to study the
metabolic changes associated with neurological disorders and brain
function, leading to improved understanding and treatment options.
• Aging research: Metabolomics can be used to study the metabolic
changes associated with aging, leading to a better understanding of
aging-related diseases and interventions.
• Bioprocess optimization: Metabolomics can be applied to optimize
bioprocesses such as fermentation and biofuel production by
monitoring and optimizing metabolic pathways.
8. • Metabolic engineering: Metabolomics can be used to identify and
optimize metabolic pathways for the production of biofuels,
pharmaceuticals, and other valuable compounds.
• Systems biology: Metabolomics can be integrated with other omics
technologies to provide a comprehensive understanding of biological
systems and their regulation.
• Bioinformatics: Metabolomics data can be integrated with other
omics data to develop computational tools for data analysis and
interpretation.
