Metabolomics: Advancing the Scientific Promise to Better Understand Plant Specialized Metabolism for a Low-Carbon Society

代谢物是生命的基石和能量来源。代谢组学是对代谢物的大规模研究，它正在彻底改变我们对植物代谢和新基因功能的理解，但由于多重技术挑战，其充分的科学前景尚未实现。这些挑战包括对代谢物的准确化学鉴定和对代谢的空间/时间分布的复杂理解。为了解决这些问题，一个由植物代谢组学和代谢专家组成的协同国际团队将采用综合方法推动关键技术的发展。该项目将利用这些技术来更好地了解碳封存和碳分配与能源和低碳社会的关系。主要的生物学目标是发现和阐明参与细胞壁成分（特别是木质素和苯丙素）和能量致密脂代谢的关键基因。主要技术目标是开发先进的分析技术，并将其用于两种模式植物——拟南芥（Arabidopsis thaliana）和苜蓿（Medicago sativa）的系统和数据导向的代谢组注释。该项目将通过提高我们对碳分配和分配的理解，使生物能源植物工程成为可能，从而为低碳社会做出贡献。新的和复杂的代谢组学技术将被开发，从而增加代谢组学的覆盖率。将生成有价值的谱库并分发给代谢组学社区。美国和日本科学家和机构之间的合作关系将通过一项对外交流计划得到加强。该项目将为4名美国博士后提供植物代谢组学、分子生物学、集成系统生物学和前沿分析生物化学方面的多学科培训。每年将举办代谢组学实践研讨会，为国际代谢组学社区提供先进的教育机会。该项目每年将为本科生（REU）学生提供三个暑期研究经验。

Metabolites are the building blocks and energy sources of life. Metabolomics, the large-scale study of metabolites, is revolutionizing our understanding of plant metabolism and novel gene function, but its full scientific promise has not been realized due to multiple technical challenges. These challenges include the accurate chemical identification of metabolites and a sophisticated understanding of the spatial/temporal distribution of metabolism. To address these issues, a synergistic international team of plant metabolomics and metabolism experts will use an integrated approach to push key technical developments. The project will use these enabling technologies to gain a better understanding of carbon sequestration and allocation in relationship to energy and a low carbon society. The major biological objective is to discover and elucidate key genes involved in metabolism of cell wall components (especially lignin and phenylpropanoids) and energy dense lipids. The major technical objective is to develop advanced analytical technologies and use them for the systematic and data directed metabolome annotation of two model plant species, Arabidopsis thaliana and Medicago truncatula (a close relative of alfalfa, Medicago sativa). This project will enable the engineering of plants for bioenergy by advancing our understanding of carbon allocation and partitioning and, thus, contribute to a low carbon society. Novel and sophisticated metabolomics technologies will be developed, resulting in increased metabolomics coverage. Valuable spectral libraries will be generated and distributed to the metabolomics community. Collaborative relationships between US and Japanese scientists and institutions will be strengthened through a foreign exchange program. The project will provide multi-disciplinary training for four USA postdoctoral researchers in plant metabolomics, molecular biology, integrated systems biology, and cutting-edge analytical biochemistry. Hands-on metabolomics workshops will be conducted each year to provide advanced educational opportunities for the international metabolomics community. This project will support three summer Research Experiences for Undergraduates (REU) students each year.