Unlocking the secrets of the microbiome: exploring the dynamic microbial interplay with humans through metabolomics and their manipulation for synthetic biology applications.

Muhamadali, Howbeer, Winder, Catherine L, Dunn, Warwick B and Goodacre, Royston ORCID: 0000-0003-2230-645X (2023) Unlocking the secrets of the microbiome: exploring the dynamic microbial interplay with humans through metabolomics and their manipulation for synthetic biology applications. The Biochemical journal, 480 (12). pp. 891-908.

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Official URL: http://dx.doi.org/10.1042/bcj20210534

Abstract

Metabolomics is a powerful research discovery tool with the potential to measure hundreds to low thousands of metabolites. In this review, we discuss the application of GC-MS and LC-MS in discovery-based metabolomics research, we define metabolomics workflows and we highlight considerations that need to be addressed in order to generate robust and reproducible data. We stress that metabolomics is now routinely applied across the biological sciences to study microbiomes from relatively simple microbial systems to their complex interactions within consortia in the host and the environment and highlight this in a range of biological species and mammalian systems including humans. However, challenges do still exist that need to be overcome to maximise the potential for metabolomics to help us understanding biological systems. To demonstrate the potential of the approach we discuss the application of metabolomics in two broad research areas: (1) synthetic biology to increase the production of high-value fine chemicals and reduction in secondary by-products and (2) gut microbial interaction with the human host. While burgeoning in importance, the latter is still in its infancy and will benefit from the development of tools to detangle host-gut-microbial interactions and their impact on human health and diseases.

Item Type:	Article
Uncontrolled Keywords:	Animals, Mammals, Humans, Mass Spectrometry, Metabolomics, Synthetic Biology, Microbiota, Host Microbial Interactions
Divisions:	Faculty of Health and Life Sciences Faculty of Health and Life Sciences > Institute of Systems, Molecular and Integrative Biology
Depositing User:	Symplectic Admin
Date Deposited:	07 Jul 2023 09:25
Last Modified:	27 Jul 2023 03:13
DOI:	10.1042/bcj20210534
Open Access URL:	https://doi.org/10.1042/BCJ20210534
Related URLs:	Author Publisher
URI:	https://livrepository.liverpool.ac.uk/id/eprint/3171522