Much like genomics aims to unravel the structure of the genome, metabolomics focuses on understanding the many small molecule metabolites that result from a cell’s metabolic processes.
There are an estimated 5,000 - 20,000 endogenous human metabolites, and analysing their production gives an accurate picture of the physiology of a cell at a given moment in time. Whereas the cell’s genotype can predict its physiology to a limited extent, metabolomics also takes phenotype – and therefore environmental conditions – into account, allowing a more precise measure of actual cell physiology.
For research, the study of metabolomics provides the means to measure the effects of a variety of stimuli on individual cells, tissues, and bodily fluids.
By studying how their metabolic profiles change with the introduction of chemicals or the expression of known genes, for example, researchers can more effectively study the immediate impact of disease, nutrition, pharmaceutical treatment, and genetic modifications while using a systems biology approach.
The Netherlands Metabolomics Centre
A large part of the Netherlands Metabolomics Centre is located in Utrecht at the Department of Metabolic and Endocrine Diseases at the Wilhelmina Children’s Hospital, UMCU.
Partnership of our research group to the NMC is a natural extension of the many years of experience by our internationally accredited Diagnostics group and a leading Research group. NMC Utrecht activities can roughly be divided in two; “Metabolite Identification/Profiling” also known as the ‘wet lab’ and “Biostatistics in Metabolomics”, also known as the ‘dry lab’.
The NMC Location Utrecht is currently chaired by Prof R. Berger and managed by Principal Investigator Dr. A.B.Brenkman who runs the wet-lab and Dr. M. Hendriks, who runs the dry lab.
Contact
E-mail Prof. Dr. R. Berger:
Tel: +31-8875-55318
More information E-mail Dr. A.B.Brenkman:
Tel: +31-8875-54921
More information
E-mail Dr. M. Hendriks:
Tel: +31-8875-53705
More information