Lipidomics

Lipidomics is the large-scale study of cellular lipidomes, the complete set of lipids present in a cell, tissue, or organism. It is a branch of metabolomics that focuses on the identification, quantification, and interpretation of lipids, including glycerophospholipids, glycerolipids, sphingolipids, sterol lipids, and fatty acyls.

Analytical approaches rely largely on mass spectrometry paired with chromatographic separation or direct infusion. Common workflows include LC-MS and LC-MS/MS for targeted and untargeted lipidomics, as well as shotgun lipidomics, which analyzes lipids directly by MS without prior separation. Sample preparation typically uses solvent extraction methods such as Folch or Bligh-Dyer, often with internal standards to enable accurate quantification.

Data analysis involves identifying lipid species, quantifying them, and interpreting patterns across biological conditions. Challenges include the existence of many structural isomers, varying ionization efficiencies, and the need for standardized nomenclature and reference databases. Reproducibility across platforms remains an ongoing concern.

Applications of lipidomics span biomedical research and clinical context, including biomarker discovery, nutrition and metabolic studies, lipid signaling, membrane biology, and drug development. It complements other omics approaches by linking lipid composition to gene expression, protein activity, and metabolic flux.

History and resources: lipidomics emerged in the early 2000s with advances in high-resolution mass spectrometry. The field is supported by community resources such as LIPID MAPS, which provides lipid classification and spectral databases. Ongoing efforts aim to improve standardization, annotation, and quantitative accuracy.