Metabolomics

Metabolomics studies the biochemical processes that involve metabolism. It is the scientific study and analysis of the metabolites produced by a cell, tissue, or organism. The term metabolome was first used in 1998 (Oliver SG, et al. Trends Biotechnol. 1998 Sep;16(9):373-8. doi: 10.1016/s0167-7799(98)01214-1).

In the Advanced Metabolomics group, we work in different aspects of the Metabolomics workflows, from biomarkers discovery to tailored solutions of data processing, with the final goal of enabling innovation in precision medicine and precision health.

Metabolomics and related fields. Image from @rcumeras.

The two main approaches that can be used in metabolomics are untargeted and targeted approaches. The approach chosen will determine how the experiment is designed, samples are prepared and which analytical techniques are used. For Biomarkers Discovery, we use untargeted approaches. For Validation of Biomarkers and/or Innovation (translation to the market), we use targeted approaches.

Image aviable as Open Access in:
Arch. Endocrinol. Metab. 64 (6) • Dec 2020 • https://doi.org/10.20945/2359-3997000000300

Our research includes other OMICS like Volatilomics, Lipidomics, and Genomics approaches, which are subgroups of the whole Metabolomics analysis. The volatilome is the volatile fraction of the metabolome, and the lipidome is the fraction of the lipid profile within a cell, tissue, organism or ecosystem.

Metabolomics outcomes

(† joint first authors)(* corresponding author/s)

  • Cumeras R, Shen T, Valdiviez L, Tippins Z, Haffner BD, Fiehn O*. Differences in the Stool Metabolome between Vegans and Omnivores: Analyzing the NIST Stool Reference Material. Metabolites 2023, 13, 921. doi: 10.3390/metabo13080921.
  • The untargeted urine volatilome for biomedical applications: methodology and volatilome database. Llambrich M, Brezmes J*, Cumeras R. Biological Procedures Online 2022, 24:20. doi: 10.1186/s12575-022-00184-w.
  • Urine NMR Metabolomics for Precision Oncology in Colorectal Cancer. Brezmes J, Llambrich M, Cumeras R*, Gumà J. International Journal of Molecular Sciences 23 (19), 11171. doi: 10.3390/ijms231911171.
  • Amanida: An R package for meta-analysis of metabolomics non-integral data. Llambrich M*, Correig E, Gumà J, Brezmes J, Cumeras R*. Bioinformatics 2022, 38(2):583-585, doi: 10.1093/bioinformatics/btab591.
  • Comprehensive volatilome and metabolome signatures of colorectal cancer in urine: A systematic review and meta-analysis. Mallafré-Muro C†, Llambrich M†, Cumeras, R*, Pardo A, Brezmes J, Marco S, Gumà J. Cancers, 2021, 13(11):2534, doi: 10.3390/cancers13112534.
  • Volatilome metabolomics and databases, recent advances and needs. R Cumeras*. Curr Metabolomics, 2017, 5(2): 79 – 89. doi: 10.2174/2213235X05666170502103408.
  • A rabbit model for assessment of volatile metabolite changes observed from skin: a pressure ulcer case study. M Schivo, AA Aksenov, A Pasamontes, R Cumeras, S Weisker, AM Oberbauer, CE Davis*. J Breath Res, 2017, 11 (1), 016007. doi: 10.1088/1752-7163/aa51d7.
  • Identification of fungal metabolites from inside Gallus gallus domesticus eggshells by non-invasively detecting volatile organic compounds (VOCs). Cumeras R, Aksenov AA, Pasamontes A, Fung AG, Cianchetta AN, Doan H, Davis RM, Davis CE*. Anal Bioanal Chem, 2016, 408 (24), 6649-6658. doi: 10.1007/s00216-016-9778-3.
  • A compendium of volatile organic compounds (VOCs) released by human cell lines. Filipiak W, Mochalski P, Troppmair J, Unterkofler K, Agapiou A, Davis CE, Cumeras R, Ager C, Filipiak A. Curr Med Chem, 2016, 23: 1-20. doi: 10.2174/0929867323666160510122913.
  • Coupling a branch enclosure with differential Mobility Spectrometry to isolate and measure plant volatiles in contained greenhouse settings. McCartney MM, Spitulski SL, Pasamontes A, Peirano DJ, Schirle MJ, Cumeras R, Simmons JD, Ware JL, Brown JF, Poh AJY, Dike SC, Foster EK, Godfrey KE, Davis CE. Talanta, 2016, 146: 148-54. doi: 10.1016/j.talanta.2015.08.039.
  • Chemical Analysis of Whale Breath Volatiles: A Case Study for Non-Invasive Field Health Diagnostics of Marine Mammals. Cumeras R†, Cheung WHK†, Gulland F, Goley D, Davis CE. Metabolites, 2014, 4:790-806. doi: 10.3390/metabo4030790
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