Metabolomics and Cellular Metabolism

Metabolomics

Metabolomics is an increasingly important and growing area of research. The use of stable isotope-labeled metabolites in MS-based methods allows researchers to identify/quantify metabolites in sample matrices. This information may be used to better understand the physiology of an organism, its response to a drug, and its change to an environmental stimulus. It can also be used to unravel disease mechanisms and to assess putative biomarkers.

Toward these and other directives, CIL offers a library of well-characterized stable isotope-labeled standards (spanning a multitude of metabolic classes and pathways) that are available individually and/or as multi-component mixtures. The mixes, which are predominantly available in their neat form for enhanced user flexibility, are designed to aid ease of use in untargeted or targeted metabolomics (be it for quality control, qualification, and/or quantification). In select cases, the mixes are available as kits, with a user manual (accessible via QR code) supplied with the mix(es). The manuals outline general procedures and processing examples, as well as alternate method suggestions and analysis results for guided user reference.

Cellular Metabolism

Cellular metabolism involves many complex sets of chemical reactions also referred to as metabolic pathways. These reactions provide energy and basic components for essential life-sustaining processes. Research in this area can be fairly complicated due to the intricacies and constant flux of metabolites in these chemical reactions. By incorporating a stable isotope-labeled metabolite or precursor into a cellular metabolism study, it is possible to interrogate these pathways to better understand metabolic flux.

The most common isotope used to study cellular metabolism is carbon-13, but with advancements in high resolution mass spectrometry and companion software, researchers can also now incorporate nitrogen-15 and deuterium into these studies. CIL offers a wide range of ¹³C-, ¹⁵N-, and D-labeled precursors, including various isotopomers of D-glucose, L-glutamine, L-leucine, palmitic acid, and many other important biological molecules.