What are the types of metabolomics?

1. Basic Definition of Metabolomics

Metabolomics refers to the scientific study that involves the qualitative and quantitative analysis of all small molecule metabolites (such as amino acids, organic acids, sugars, lipids, etc.) within a biological system. Its goal is to reveal the biochemical processes behind physiological states, disease mechanisms, drug actions, or environmental impacts through changes in metabolite levels.

Metabolomics can generally be classified according to different dimensions:

• By research strategy: Untargeted Metabolomics vs Targeted Metabolomics;

• By detection object or compound type: Lipidomics, Volatilomics, etc.;

• By experimental platform: Based on mass spectrometry (MS) and nuclear magnetic resonance (NMR) systems.

2. Classification by Research Strategy

1、Untargeted Metabolomics

(1) Objective: To comprehensively depict the metabolic profile and explore differential metabolites.

(2) Characteristics：

• No predefined target compounds;

• Can simultaneously detect thousands of metabolites;

• Suitable for research on unknown mechanisms or biomarker discovery.

(3) Typical Applications：

• Differential analysis between disease model groups and control groups;

• Study of drug or environmental exposure effects;

• Exploration of microbial metabolic products.

(4) Technical Implementation：

Often uses platforms such as LC-MS, GC-MS, combined with multivariate statistics (PCA, PLS-DA) and metabolic pathway enrichment analysis.

2. Targeted Metabolomics

(1) Objective: To quantitatively detect specific metabolic pathways or specific metabolites.

(2) Characteristics：

• High sensitivity, high specificity;

• Can obtain absolute quantitative results;

• Often used to validate untargeted results.

(3) Typical Applications：

• Quantitative study of metabolic pathways (such as TCA cycle, amino acid metabolism);

• Validation of disease diagnostic biomarkers;

• Pharmacokinetics analysis.

(4) Technical Implementation：

Usually based on LC-MS/MS (such as QqQ platform), establishing a standard curve for quantification using standards.

3. Subdivision by Metabolite Type or Research Area

1. Lipidomics

Focuses on the study of lipid metabolites (fatty acids, phospholipids, sphingolipids, triglycerides, etc.).

• Associated diseases: cardiovascular diseases, metabolic syndrome, neurodegenerative diseases;

• Technical platforms: UHPLC-QTOF, Orbitrap-MS.

2. Amino Acid Metabolomics / Organic Acid Metabolomics

Focuses on small molecule amino acids and organic acid metabolites, often used in energy metabolism and liver function research.

3. Volatilomics

Analyzes volatile compounds in breath, sweat, etc., using GC-MS, applied in non-invasive disease diagnosis.

4. Pharmacometabolomics

Studies individual differences in metabolic responses after drug treatment, aiding personalized medicine and efficacy prediction.

5. Microbial Metabolomics / Co-metabolomics

Focuses on metabolic interactions between host and gut microbiota, often combined with 16S sequencing or metagenomics.

4. Classification by Detection Platform

Platform	Advantages	Limitations	Typical Applications
LC-MS	High Sensitivity, Wide Applicability	Difficult-to-Detect Volatile Compounds	Polar and Neutral Metabolites
GC-MS	High Separation Efficiency, Good Reproducibility	Samples Require Derivatization	Volatile/Semi-volatile Compounds
NMR	Non-destructive, Quantitatively Accurate	Lower Sensitivity	Clinical Serum/Urine Metabolomics
CE-MS	Suitable for Polar Small Molecules	Complex Data Processing	Research on Amino Acids and Organic Acids

V. Application Directions of Different Types of Metabolomics

• Disease Mechanism Research: Cancer, Diabetes, Cardiovascular Diseases, Hepatitis, etc.;

• Drug Development and Toxicological Evaluation: Assessing Efficacy and Side Effects through Metabolic Fingerprinting;

• Food and Nutrition Science: Studying the Impact of Dietary Components on Metabolic Regulation;

• Microbial and Environmental Metabolomics: Exploring Ecosystem Metabolic Networks.

VI. Metabolomics Solutions by Biotree Biotechnology

At Biotree Biotechnology, we offer comprehensive metabolomics analysis services tailored to different research goals:

• Non-targeted Metabolomics: Based on Thermo Orbitrap Exploris 240/480 platform, offering high coverage and reproducibility;

• Targeted Metabolomics: Providing absolute quantification schemes for over 200+ metabolites (including amino acids, organic acids, fatty acids, etc.);

• Multi-omics Integrated Analysis: Combining transcriptomics, proteomics to reveal molecular mechanism networks;

• Customized Bioinformatics Analysis Report: Including metabolic pathway visualization, differential metabolite interpretation, and biological significance elucidation.

Metabolomics is not a single technology but a comprehensive system covering 'discovery-validation-mechanism analysis'. Whether exploring unknown metabolic changes or quantitatively analyzing key metabolic pathways, different types of metabolomics have their unique value. In scientific research practice, choosing the appropriate type of metabolomics and analysis strategy is a crucial step to obtaining high-quality results. Biotree Biotechnology is committed to being your reliable partner in scientific research—supporting each metabolic discovery with high-precision mass spectrometry platforms and professional bioinformatics teams.