Fraunhofer Institute for Toxicology and Experimental Medicine
Our bodily functions are the result of a highly complex biochemical dynamic equilibrium: thousands of metabolic processes occur simultaneously to keep us alive. Small molecules formed in these processes, known as metabolites, are, in their quantity and occurrence, like fingerprints of our current state of health. Among other things, metabolites provide insight into how well organs function, how the body responds to drugs or nutrients, and whether changes in metabolomic processes are disease- or diet-related.
This is where metabolome research, also referred to as metabolomics, comes in: the quantitative determination of a wide range of metabolic products in various analytical matrices such as blood, urine, cerebrospinal fluid (CSF), or tissue is carried out using modern high-throughput analytical methods. The resulting snapshot of the current metabolic state can provide insight into metabolic dysregulation associated with disease, malnutrition, or other environmental influences at an early stage, thereby supporting research into new therapies and drug-based treatment approaches. With its analytical expertise in a GLP-regulated environment, Fraunhofer ITEM successfully contributes to metabolomics within the framework of national and international projects.
In 2025, the LC–MS/MS-based metabolomics platform of the Bio- and Environmental Analytics Department at Fraunhofer ITEM was significantly expanded, both in terms of instrumentation and in the area of kit-based targeted metabolomics. Through the implementation of new commercial, kit-based targeted metabolomics applications, Fraunhofer ITEM is able to quantitatively determine up to 1,800 metabolites from various metabolite classes in high-throughput with high quality and reproducibility. This requires only an aliquot of a few microliters of blood or approximately 500 µL of urine. Sample collection – including for samples from the veterinary field – must be carried out according to a protocol suitable for metabolomics.
The long-standing, successful collaboration with Hannover Medical School (MHH) was further intensified this year through the conclusion of an institutional cooperation agreement. This framework agreement represents an important milestone for the long-term strategic partnership between the two institutions. It provides MHH researchers with streamlined administrative access to the analytical capabilities in the field of metabolomics at Fraunhofer ITEM. The joint goal is to initiate projects more quickly and to address current scientific questions within the shortest possible time.
In addition to LC-MS/MS-based metabolomics analysis, the Bio- and Environmental Analytics team is continuously expanding its capacities and expertise in NMR-based metabolomics. NMR spectroscopy enables rapid, non-destructive, and fully quantitative metabolomics analyses from almost all biological matrices.
This work is also carried out in close collaboration with commercial providers of NMR metabolomics. These collaborations simplify the complex data analysis by providing access to the partners’ extensive metabolomics databases. Due to the simplicity of the measurement process and the high quality of the quantitative results, NMR-based metabolomics holds great promise for future diagnostic applications in medical field.
These strategic partnerships uniquely expand the methodological capabilities of the Bio- and Environmental Analytics Department at Fraunhofer ITEM in the field of metabolomics research. By combining modern NMR- and LC-MS/MS-based analytical methods, Fraunhofer ITEM has, in recent years, established itself as a competent partner for research and development projects in metabolomics.
