On the future of "omics": lipidomics

Area of Science:

• Metabolomics
• Lipidomics
• Biochemistry

Background:

• The metabolome complements the genome and proteome in biological research.
• Metabolites are divided into aqueous and organic solvent-soluble compounds.
• Lipidomics focuses on the molecular and quantitative investigation of organic solvent-soluble metabolites (lipids).

Purpose of the Study:

• To examine the fundamental principles of diverse lipidomic experimental approaches.
• To discuss the application of lipidomics in identifying inborn errors of metabolism.

Main Methods:

• Lipidomics utilizes mass spectrometry, often coupled with chromatography.
• Exploration of global approaches like "shotgun" and "top-down" lipidomics.
• Discussion of targeted approaches using liquid chromatography-mass spectrometry (LC-MS) or gas chromatography-mass spectrometry (GC-MS).

Main Results:

• The paper provides an overview of established and emerging lipidomic methodologies.
• It highlights the technological drivers and advancements within the field of lipidomics.
• The potential of lipidomics for disease diagnosis, particularly inborn errors of metabolism, is underscored.

Conclusions:

• Lipidomics is a rapidly advancing field crucial for a comprehensive understanding of the metabolome.
• Various experimental strategies, from global to targeted, are available for lipidomic analysis.
• Lipidomics holds significant promise for the diagnosis and study of metabolic disorders.