This detailed book aims to address the need for standardizing key steps in plant metabolomics research that is still considered a critical issue in the field. The collection unites diverse mass spectrometry (MS)-based protocols, from sample preparation and extraction of plant primary and secondary metabolites (e.g. a range of sugars, lipids, phytohormones and volatile organic compounds) to metabolite analysis, using exclusively highly sensitive MS-based methodologies, followed by frontline bioinformatics and/or mathematical modeling approaches to produce reliable biological data interpretation. Written for the highly successful Methods in Molecular Biology series, chapters include introductions to their respective topics, lists of the necessary materials and reagents, step-by-step, readily reproducible laboratory protocols, and tips on troubleshooting and avoiding known pitfalls. Authoritative and practical, Plant Metabolomics: Methods and Protocols serves both new and well-established researchers in the plant metabolomics field in finding helpful guidelines and useful laboratory-based protocols for setting up their routine plant metabolomics experiments.

This is the newest title in the successful Molecular Plant Biology Handbook Series. Just like the other titles in the series this new book presents an excellent overview of different approaches and techniques in Metabolomics. Contributors are either from ivy-league research institutions or from companies developing new technologies in this dynamic and fast-growing field. With its approach to introduce current techniques in plant metabolomics to a wider audience and with many labs and companies considering to introduce metabolomics for their research, the title meets a growing market. The Kahl books are in addition a trusted brand for the plant science community and have always sold above expectations.

Metabolomics – which deals with all metabolites of an organism – is a rapidly-emerging sector of post-genome research fields. It plays significant roles in a variety of fields from medicine to agriculture and holds a fundamental position in functional genomics studies and their application in plant biotechnology. This volume comprehensively covers plant metabolomics for the first time. The chapters offer cutting-edge information on analytical technology, bioinformatics and applications. They were all written by leading researchers who have been directly involved in plant metabolomics research throughout the world. Up-to-date information and future developments are described, thereby producing a volume which is a landmark of plant metabolomics research and a beneficial guideline to graduate students and researchers in academia, industry, and technology transfer organizations in all plant science fields.

Like genomics, which defines genes in a genome irrespective of functionality, metabolomics profiles all metabolites in a biological sample irrespective of the chemical and physical properties of these molecules. Metabolomics can potentially define cellular processes by providing a measure of the ultimate phenotype of an organism, characterized by the collage of small molecules whose levels of accumulation is altered in response to genetic and environmentally induced changes in gene expression.

The plant metabolome is highly complex, being composed of over 200,000 metabolites. The characterization of these small molecules has been crucial to study plant growth and development as well as their response to environmental changes. The potential of metabolomics in plant research, particularly if applied to crop plants, is also extremely valuable in the discovery of biomarkers and in the improvement of crop yield and quality. This Frontiers Research Topic addresses many applications of metabolomics to crop research, based on different analytical platforms, including mass spectrometry, and nuclear magnetic resonance. It comprises 13 articles from 109 authors that show the importance and the contribution of metabolomics in the analysis of crop’s traceability and genetic variation, in the study of fruit development, and in the understanding of the plant’s response to the environment and to different biotic and abiotic stresses.

Like genomics, which defines genes in a genome irrespective of functionality, metabolomics profiles all metabolites in a biological sample irrespective of the chemical and physical properties of these molecules. Metabolomics can potentially define cellular processes by providing a measure of the ultimate phenotype of an organism, characterized by the collage of small molecules whose levels of accumulation is altered in response to genetic and environmentally induced changes in gene expression.

Plant Metabolics, Volume 98, the latest release in the Advances in Botanical Research series, highlights new advances in the field, with this new volume presenting interesting chapters on a variety of intriguing topics, including Developmental metabolomics to decipher and improve fleshy fruit quality, Specialized metabolites in seeds, Untangling plant immune responses through metabolomics, Plant metabolomics to the benefit of crop protection and growth stimulation, Metabolomics in plant-microbe interactions in the roots, A practical guide to implementing metabolomics in plant ecology and biodiversity research, Plant metabolomics and breeding, Plant genome-scale metabolic networks, Metabolite imaging by mass spectrometry: A new discovery tool, MS- and NMR-metabolomic tools for the discrimination of wines: Applications for authenticity Provides the authority and expertise of leading contributors from an international board of authors Presents the latest release in the Advances in Botanical Research series Updated release includes the latest information on the Plant Metabolics