Metabolomics and Systems Biology

Our laboratory is using systems approaches to map the signaling networks that govern mitochondrial function and as such regulate organismal metabolism in health, aging and disease. We apply a state-of-the-art biological toolkit to study a variety of model systems, ranging from the plant Arabidopsis thaliana, over the nematode Caenorhabditis elegans, to the mouse and all the way to humans. Our research has not only allowed the development of new methodologies and scientific approaches applied to population, as exemplified by the development of cross-species multi-layered genetics/omics gene mapping strategies, but also contributed to improved understanding of how signaling pathways control mitochondrial function and metabolism. Although our research addresses basic biomedical questions, we aim at translating our research into novel preventive and therapeutic strategies for common diseases, such as type 2 diabetes, frailty, and obesity, as well as rare inherited mitochondrial diseases. The translational value of our work is testified by the fact that several drugs targeting processes and pathways which we elucidated are currently used in the clinic.