What is metabolomics?

You’ve probably heard of the central dogma. DNA makes RNA makes protein. Simple, easy, elegant. But let’s think about one of the most famous (or infamous) biological molecules: glucose. Where does glucose fit into the central dogma?

It doesn’t. That’s because glucose isn’t DNA, RNA, or protein, it’s a metabolite. Metabolites are small molecules, like glucose, that generally weigh between 50-1500 daltons. They play essential roles in every aspect of biology, from storing energy to sending messages to providing building blocks for larger molecules.

Metabolomics is the study of these metabolites. Metabolomics experiments can measure thousands of molecules using a variety of scientific instruments, but they all focus on the small molecules that make biology function.

You use metabolomics every day! Blood panels, food safety testing, medical diagnostics, drug screening, and environmental toxicology all use metabolomics to measure small molecules in biological systems.