(70e) From Metabolomics to Metabolic Engineering

Metabolism fuels all living organisms and contributes to systemic homeostasis in humans. The past decade has witnessed the emergence of metabolomics as an essential tool for determination of the metabolic states of widely divergent organisms. However, a gap remains between metabolite measurement and rational engineering of metabolism. My lab aims to bridge the gap. To this end, we have been innovating techniques for quantifying absolute metabolite concentrations and fluxes, which serve as state variables for describing metabolism. By integrating metabolomics, fluxomics, thermodynamics, and control theory, we uncover metabolic design principles and apply fundamental understanding to address challenges in energy and medicine. In this presentation, I will highlight our recent investigation into metabolism in the context of evolution, immunotherapy, and CO₂ upcycling.