Metabolomics

Metabolomics is the systematic study of small-molecule metabolites in biological systems, measuring their identities, abundances, and changes across conditions.

Mass spectrometry: An analytical technique that identifies and measures ions by their mass-to-charge ratios. It detects metabolites by measuring the mass-to-charge ratios of ionized molecules.
Metabolite: A small molecule produced, used, or transformed by a biological system. Metabolites are the measured molecular objects at the center of this field.
Biomarker: A measurable biological feature that indicates a physiological state or response. Metabolite measurements can serve as biomarkers for disease or treatment response.
Targeted metabolomics: An analytical strategy that quantifies a predefined set of metabolites using selected assays. It trades broad discovery for focused, often more precise measurement of chosen compounds.
Nuclear magnetic resonance spectroscopy: A technique that uses nuclear magnetic resonance signals to determine molecular structure and composition. It measures metabolite signals without requiring molecules to be ionized.
Metabolic pathway: A sequence of biochemical reactions that converts molecules through enzyme-catalyzed steps. Pathways connect measured metabolites to the reactions that produce and consume them.
Precision medicine: An approach to healthcare that tailors prevention or treatment using individual biological and clinical differences. Metabolic profiles can help distinguish patient subgroups and inform treatment choices.
Untargeted metabolomics: An analytical strategy that surveys as many detectable metabolites as possible without a fixed target list. It is the discovery-oriented approach commonly contrasted with targeted measurement.
Liquid chromatography–mass spectrometry: An analytical method that separates compounds by liquid chromatography before measuring them with mass spectrometry. Its separation step helps resolve complex metabolite mixtures before detection.
Metabolome: The complete set of small-molecule metabolites present in a biological system under specified conditions. The metabolome is the molecular inventory that metabolomics seeks to characterize.

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