Section for Metabolomics and Lipidomics

Metabolomics is a novel technology that allows simultaneous detection of the majority of small molecules present in a biological sample. These metabolites are the building blocks, end products, or degradation products of thousands of biochemical reactions continuously taking place in the body. The metabolome, i.e., the profile of all metabolites in a sample, provides information about health status and disease, dietary intake and medication, as well as the influence of the gut microbiome on health. Some metabolites are lipids, which are best detected using lipidomics – a technical variant of metabolomics optimized for lipid analysis.

In contrast to the genome, which is stable and provides information about inherited traits and lifetime disease risk, the metabolome is dynamic and offers a detailed snapshot of the current health status. This can help solve complex diagnostic challenges and guide the selection of the most effective treatment with the least side effects, targeting the underlying cause, disease mechanisms, and the most harmful metabolic disturbances. Furthermore, metabolomics is well-suited to rapidly assess whether a treatment is having the desired effect – thus enabling change of treatment if needed.

We can perform metabolomics and lipidomics on all types of biological samples, including various body fluids and tissues. Since the analysis can be done on as little as a single drop of blood, it is well-suited even for at-home patient self-sampling. A fingerprick blood sample dried on filter paper or a specialized collection card can be sent by regular mail and analyzed in our lab. Once dried, the metabolome is stable. This is the same principle used in newborn screening, where samples are collected across the country and sent by mail to Oslo University Hospital.

Due to current limitations in analysis capacity, and the importance of appropriate standardization, clinical requests for metabolomics and lipidomics is best arranged in advance.
Please contact:

• Section Head Katja Elgstøen (Phone: +47 23 07 30 79, E-mail: kelgstoe@ous-hf.no), or
• Senior Consultant Helge Rootwelt (Phone: +47 23 07 09 22, E-mail: hrootwel@ous-hf.no).

For projects not related to clinical diagnostics or monitoring, please contact our Core facility for global metabolomics and lipidomics - Faculty of Medicine