Chapter 7: Metabolomics as a Tool for Phenotypic Characterization and Strain Improvement

Metabolomics, the total profiling of small molecules known as metabolites, is becoming a crucial tool for improving the bioproduction capabilities of chassis organisms as it allows for the system-wide characterization of metabolites and provides insight into the effect of genetic designs of organisms on production phenotype. This chapter discusses metabolomics application in microbiology with a focus on phenotypic characterization and strain improvement. The topics covered in this chapter include methodologies of mass spectrometry-based metabolomics, which encompasses analysis strategies, analytical platforms, sample preparation strategies, and data analysis methods. Application of microbial metabolomics for strain improvement, including the strategies to improve strains using metabolomics data, and examples of such application in various organisms are discussed.