Metabolomics
Metabolomics Project
Metabolic function is influenced by a variety of factors, including genetics, diet, lifestyle, and environment. A comprehensive analysis of metabolism is necessary to assess health status in an individual. Not only are people different from each other, they are different from themselves at different points in time both because of acute diet, lifestyle, and environmental influences (e.g. transient infection, following a specific diet, etc), and because of life stage (e.g. pre- vs. post-menopause, childhood vs. adolescence, etc). A move away from a one-size-fits-all approach and toward an individualized approach that recognizes this variability is required to address the inherent complexity of human metabolism. The aims of the Metabolomics Project are to discover biomarkers of health and disease in biological samples of individuals in different physiological states, and to develop assessment tools based on mass spectrometry (MS) and nuclear magnetic resonance (NMR) technologies to assess metabolic health status in individuals using a comprehensive approach. The development of these assessment tools and biomarkers will enable earlier and more targeted interventions to prevent disease and optimize health in individuals.
