Metabolomics provides a functional readout of the cells biochemistry. It holds great potential to link the observed differences in the phenotype to the underlying biochemical and molecular mechanisms.

The Metabolomics site in Leuven is linked to the VIB-KU Leuven Center for Cancer Biology and specializes in primary metabolism. It also holds unique expertise in tracer (13C, 15N, 18O, 2H, etc) based metabolomics, this technology provides crucial insights into the activity of metabolic pathways by administration of non-radioactive isotopically labeled substrates (such as glucose, glutamine, palmitic acid, etc) to the medium (in vitro) or organism (in vivo). Using state-of-the-art high resolution mass spectrometry, the fate of these labeled isotopes is followed throughout the metabolic network and it reveals the (in)activity of metabolic pathways and enzymes. The team is specialized in the experimental design, data analyses and visualization of tracer metabolomics. The team also provides services for metabolic profiling of primary metabolites (using an in house library of over 400 metabolites).