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Review
. 2017 Apr;42(4):274-284.
doi: 10.1016/j.tibs.2017.01.004. Epub 2017 Feb 11.

Metabolomics: A Primer

Xiaojing Liu  1 , Jason W Locasale  2
Affiliations
Review

Metabolomics: A Primer

Xiaojing Liu et al. Trends Biochem Sci. 2017 Apr.

Abstract

Metabolomics generates a profile of small molecules that are derived from cellular metabolism and can directly reflect the outcome of complex networks of biochemical reactions, thus providing insights into multiple aspects of cellular physiology. Technological advances have enabled rapid and increasingly expansive data acquisition with samples as small as single cells; however, substantial challenges in the field remain. In this primer we provide an overview of metabolomics, especially mass spectrometry (MS)-based metabolomics, which uses liquid chromatography (LC) for separation, and discuss its utilities and limitations. We identify and discuss several areas at the frontier of metabolomics. Our goal is to give the reader a sense of what might be accomplished when conducting a metabolomics experiment, now and in the near future.

Keywords: Metabolomics; mass spectrometry; metabolic biology; metabolic network; quantitative biology.

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Figures

Figure 1
Figure 1. Targeted, semi-targeted and untargeted analysis
General scheme of different workflows that are available for metabolomics studies.
Figure 2
Figure 2. Distribution of recent publications on applications of metabolomics by area
Number of publications were obtained by searching the corresponding keywords (e.g., drug discovery & metabolomics) in Google Scholar, with time range of 2015 – current (Nov 2016), and the fraction was calculated by dividing the number obtained from each area by the total number of publications in metabolomics.
Figure 3
Figure 3. Trends in metabolomics
Trends include broader metabolite coverage from smaller sample sizes, achieving spatial resolution, and the integration of multi-omics data.
See this image and copyright information in PMC

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Publication types