Overview of Experimental Methods and Study Design in Metabolomics, and Statistical and Pathway Considerations

Abstract

Metabolomics has become a powerful tool in biological and clinical investigations. This chapter reviews the technological basis of metabolomics and the considerations in answering biomedical questions. The workflow of metabolomics is explained in the sequence of data processing, quality control, metabolite annotation, statistical analysis, pathway analysis, and multi-omics integration. Reproducibility in both sample analysis and data analysis is key to the scientific progress, and the recommendation is made on reporting standards in publications. This chapter explains the technical aspects of metabolomics in the context of systems biology and applications to human health.

Keywords: Annotation; GC-MS; LC-MS; Metabolomics; NMR; Precision medicine; Recommendation; Systems medicine.