Metabolomics

Metabolomics is the comprehensive analysis of the metabolome, the complete set of small-molecule metabolites (typically under 1,500 daltons) present in a cell, biofluid, tissue, or organism. These metabolites include amino acids, lipids, sugars, organic acids, nucleotides, and their intermediary products, representing the downstream output of genomic, transcriptomic, and proteomic processes. Analytical platforms for metabolomics include nuclear magnetic resonance (NMR) spectroscopy and mass spectrometry coupled with liquid or gas chromatography. In peptide research, metabolomic profiling enables researchers to measure the holistic biochemical impact of peptide administration, capturing changes in energy metabolism, oxidative stress markers, lipid profiles, and neurotransmitter levels that would be missed by targeted assays. For example, metabolomic studies of NAD+ precursors have revealed widespread shifts in the NAD+ metabolome affecting over 100 downstream metabolic reactions, and tirzepatide research has employed metabolomics to characterise shifts in glucose and lipid metabolism.