TMPL is the resource center at UAB for studies in metabolomics. It formally supports investigators in the UAB Lung Health Center, the UAB-UCSD O’Brien Center for Acute Kidney Injury and individual NIH-funded investigators. TMPL is also available to other investigators wanting to get metabolomics preliminary data for grant applications.

Contacts: Stephen Barnes, PhD (sbarnes@uab.edu)

• What is metabolomics and the metabolome?
• Consultation before analysis
• A course on metabolomics

Metabolomics is to be distinguished from targeted analysis of individual metabolites representing known metabolic pathways (although TMPL does that, too). An important issue for both human and all animal models is that the metabolome, the collection of all small molecules in organs, tissues, cells, biofluids, is much more than just the products of genes, expressed transcripts and translated protein/enzyme activities in an organism.

The human/animal biosamples contain unique compounds coming from the diet, the bedding, household chemicals (cosmetics and personal products), food additives, therapeutics and the compounds generated by the personal microbiome.

We encourage investigators to contact us before beginning the collection of samples to optimally design their experiments. Consideration needs to be given to timing of sample collection, sample storage, metabolite sample extraction, the LC-MS method and data analysis.

For graduate students, postdocs and even faculty, Dr. Stephen Barnes runs an advanced graduate course in metabolomics (GBSC 724) from January-April each year. The classes from the 2022 course can be found here.