Biomolecular Medicine combines expertise in -omic technology, particularly world-class expertise and resources in metabolic profiling, with computational systems approaches to understand how metabolic perturbations influence disease. The metabolome, the entire complement of metabolites in a biofluid, cell or tissue, is particularly sensitive to disease processes, as well as interactions with diet, host-microbiome, pharmacological intervention and the environment (also termed the exposome). We have developed and applied a wide range of analytical tools for profiling metabolites, lipids and peptides in biofluids and tissues both in healthy individuals and in patient populations, particularly using NMR spectroscopy and mass spectrometry. These metabolic profiles have been associated with various human diseases, and we have modelled these changes in animal and cell systems to better define the mechanisms responsible for pathology, as well as using these approaches for precision medicine to target the right patient groups for treatment.

The section has particular interests in the use of metabolic profiling and systems medicine to understand the metabolic syndrome, drug toxicity and various forms of cancer, and has been instrumental in defining how diet and the gut microbiome interacts with many of these disease processes.