metabolomici

Metabolomics is a field of biology that studies the complete set of small molecules, also known as metabolites, within a biological sample. This includes the quantitative measurement of these metabolites and their dynamic changes under different physiological or pathological conditions. Metabolomics aims to provide a comprehensive snapshot of the biochemical state of a cell, tissue, or organism at a given time. The metabolites studied are typically small molecules like amino acids, lipids, carbohydrates, and nucleotides, which are involved in cellular processes such as growth, metabolism, and response to stimuli.

The primary goal of metabolomics is to understand biological systems by analyzing their metabolic profiles. This can reveal insights into the biochemical pathways that are active and how they are regulated. Techniques such as mass spectrometry (MS) and nuclear magnetic resonance (NMR) spectroscopy are commonly employed to identify and quantify metabolites. These analytical methods allow researchers to detect a wide range of compounds present in a sample, often in very low concentrations.

Metabolomics has diverse applications across various scientific disciplines. In medicine, it is used for disease diagnosis, prognosis, and understanding disease mechanisms. It can help identify biomarkers for early detection of conditions like cancer or diabetes. In agriculture, metabolomics can aid in crop improvement and understanding plant responses to environmental stress. Furthermore, it plays a role in drug discovery and development, by helping to understand how drugs affect metabolic pathways. The data generated from metabolomic studies can be analyzed using bioinformatics tools to identify patterns and make biological interpretations.