Metabolomics
Science programme: Genomic technologies
Metabolomics deals with the functioning of plants at the chemical level. Under study are the metabolites (chemicals) produced by the plant as part of its normal growth and development.
Metabolomics applies the extensive data collecting techniques of genomics to the analysis of the chemical components of plants. Particular goals of plant metabolomics are to:
- Determine the function of plant genes
- Understand the regulation of metabolism in plants
- Enhance the quantity of desirable compounds in plants.
We are using metabolomics analysis of the model plant Arabidopsis to identify flavour genes and to understand the genetic and environmental control of red coloration in fruit. Conditions for plant growth, sample collection, and chemical and data analysis are being progressively refined. This five-year project started in mid 2003.
HortResearch is working with AgResearch to establish a joint capability in plant metabolomics for the benefit of New Zealand.
Future work will use metabolomics techniques to profile extracts from functional foods, to identify components that show activity in specially developed genetic polymorphism-based screens and in animal models. This is a key capability in our new collaborative project on Gene Specific Foods or Nutrigenomics.
Capability
- Metabolomic analysis of Arabidopsis and other plants for primary and secondary metabolites
- Targeted analysis of plant metabolites by HPLC, LC-MS/MS and GCMS
- New high mass resolution GCT and high throughput LECO GC-MS instruments
- LC-MSn for structural analysis
- Volatile and flavour analysis using headspace, spme and purge and trap techniques
- Isolation and identification of natural products using bioassay guided fractionation
- Chemical and enzymic synthesis of isotopically labelled compounds for use in quantitation and biosynthetic studies
- Metabolomics database under construction.
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