Abstract

Metabolomics: Beyond Biomarkers

Gary Siuzdak, Professor and Director, The Scripps Research Institute

Metabolomics, the quantitative global analysis of endogenous metabolites from cells, tissues, fluids and whole organisms, is now an integral part of functional genomics efforts as well as a tool for understanding fundamental biochemistry. While the genome and proteome represent upstream biochemical events, metabolites correlate with the most downstream biochemistry and therefore most closely represent the phenotype.  This has been proven by the broad success of metabolite analysis in clinical diagnostics and understanding mechanisms of diseases. The aim in our studies is to obtain a comprehensive quantitative view of the metabolome to expand our understanding of what pathways are altered in specific diseases. We have developed a novel mass spectrometry platform for metabolomics that is used by thousands of labs, namely XCMS Online data analysis combined with the METLIN comprehensive MS/MS metabolite database.  As well as nanostructure-initiator mass spectrometry (NIMS) imaging. These technologies will be presented in the context of their application to discovering new disease therapies/pathways for chronic pain, cancer, and healthy aging.