Cells uptake substrates and convert them into various substances. Such a process is called "metabolism" and the pathway by which it happens is termed "metabolic pathway". As shown in the figure, the cellular metabolic pathway is highly complex and difficult to research even if we only focus on a particular area of interest. Despite the difficulty, The cell's metabolic status is a vital information to investigate the production process. "Metabolome analysis" is a new discipline which provides such knowledge. In recent years, analytical instruments including LC and GC have been improved, and new analytical technology and advanced data analysis capacity lead to the development of highly sensitive GC-MS and LC-MS/MS. In metabolome analysis, the cells used in the production process are analyzed at their metabolite level using such advanced instruments. We are aiming to efficiently obtain superior microorganisms using the metabolome technology.


Reference URL (http://www.genome.ad.jp/kegg/pathway/map/map01100.html)