Metabolomics of the obese

Applications of metabolomics to understanding obesity in mouse and man

The functional genomic approach of metabolomics consists of the application of a global analytical tool to profile metabolism in a cell, tissue or organism. The most popular analytical tools include high-resolution (1)H nuclear magnetic resonance spectroscopy and mass spectrometry. Metabolomics is high throughput and relatively cheap on a per-sample basis and, hence, ideal for collecting large data sets. Biofluids are being used to follow the progression of obesity both in animal models and humans, while tissue extracts can be examined to probe the mechanisms responsible for these biofluid changes. Given these benefits and the results already produced in the field, metabolomics will play an increasing role in understanding the progression of obesity.

The Potential of Metabolomics Tools in Bioremediation Studies

As a post-genomics tool, metabolomics is a young and vibrant field of science in its exponential growth phase. Metabolome analysis has become very popular recently, and novel techniques for acquiring and analyzing metabolomics data continue to emerge that are useful for a variety of biological studies. The bioremediation field has a lot to gain from the advances in this emerging area. Thus, this review article focuses on the potential of various experimental and conceptual approaches developed for metabolomics to be applied in bioremediation research, such as strategies for elucidation of biodegradation pathways using isotope distribution analysis and molecular connectivity analysis, the assessment of mineralization process using metabolic footprinting analysis, and the improvement of the biodegradation process via metabolic engineering. We demonstrate how the use of metabolomics tools can significantly extend and enhance the power of existing bioremediation approaches by providing a better overview of the biodegradation process.