metallomics

Metallomics is an interdisciplinary field that studies metal and metalloid species in biological systems at a systems level. It aims to define the metallome—the total pool of metal ions and metal-containing molecules—its speciation, localization, oxidation state, and dynamic changes under physiological and pathological conditions. The field overlaps with metalloproteomics, which identifies and quantifies metalloproteins and their metal cofactors, and with broader omics approaches that map networks of metal homeostasis.

Analytical methods used in metallomics include inductively coupled plasma mass spectrometry (ICP-MS) for total metal quantification, speciation analyses, and chromatographic separation coupled with mass spectrometry. Structural and chemical state information is obtained with X-ray absorption spectroscopy, Mössbauer spectroscopy, electron paramagnetic resonance (EPR), and synchrotron-based X-ray fluorescence imaging. Imaging and single-cell approaches enable spatial mapping of metals in tissues.

Metallomics addresses metal homeostasis, transport, storage, and signaling, and contributes to understanding metalloproteins, metalloenzymes, and metallodrugs. It has applications in nutrition, toxicology, neurology, oncology, infectious disease, and environmental health, as well as in drug development and diagnostics. The field highlights the importance of metal ions in catalysis, structure, and signaling, and it seeks to connect molecular details with organismal physiology.

The term metallomics and its related subfields emerged in the early 21st century as part of the move toward integrative omics. A dedicated journal, Metallomics, publishes research across the field.