Welcome to the Metabolomics Laboratory and Facility, a part of the Michigan Center for Translational Pathology (MCTP) and the Michigan Metabolomics and Obesity Center (MMOC). We are firmly committed to the development of the science of Metabolomics, and discovery of advanced metabolomic techniques. In order to accomplish this goal, we freely collaborate with researchers from all over the world to acquire a diverse collection of sample types and experimental designs.

The Facility is established under the leadership of Professor Chris Beecher, who has studied the methods for, and requirements of the high-throughput chemical analysis of biological samples for over 20 years. Prior to 1999, these processes were used in drug discovery and development, since then this effort has focused exclusively on the development of Metabolomic platforms.

Professor Beecher may be credited with the creation of the first mass-spectrometry based, non-targeted Metabolomic platform. The earliest Metabolomics platform was developed at Paradigm Genetics, Inc. where the platform was used to focus on the functional analysis of genetically modified specimens of the rapid-cycling plant, Arabidopsis thaliana. The technology was quickly extended to the exploration of human healthcare when these techniques were re-established at Metabolon, Inc. and Metabolic Analyses, Inc., both founded in 2003. Since 2003, the science of Metabolomics has grown dramatically, and advanced techniques have been developed at many labs worldwide. None-the-less, the current laboratory at the University of Michigan may represent the most advanced mass spectrometry-based, non-targeted Metabolomics platform in the world today.

So whether you are a member of the general public, scientific community, or news media, we hope you enjoy this web-site and the resources we have provided. Please feel free to contact us with comments and suggestions for its expansion.