About this Research Topic

Background

Metabolites are generated in part during catabolism when the consumed sources of energy undergo biotransformation, energy and metabolites are produced and the latter eliminated from the body. Volatile organic compounds (VOCs), semi-VOCs (SVOCs), etc., can be representatives of the metabolic processes, but also can be generated in pathologic conditions of organisms as signaling agents that transmit potential etiologic information on the disease states of the host. With recent advances in molecular biology and diagnostics, new forms of interdisciplinary science link VOC and SVOC production with genome, transcriptomic and proteomic data sets, and through biomarker discovery, translation and validation coupled with the latest advances in mass spectrometry, they contribute significantly to the emerging area called “volatilome” research.

Volatilome research emerges in part from the awareness that organisms emit biomarker VOCs representative of their physiological state, stress conditions, etc., and on the mediating interactions between the host and the environment. For example, human and animal breath contains a vast number of VOCs that translate information about their health, and in case of plants, VOCs can be released in response to an external trigger, such as temperature or osmotic stress, herbivore perturbations, etc. Plant foliar VOCs contribute to potential application in crop stress response, defense, and enhanced biomass production which offers a renewable feedstock for sustainable energy and materials production within a biorefining context. Multi-omics is a valuable tool to investigate the processes involved in the fate of VOCs and their use as potential biomarkers in the inter-species microbiome utilizing the latest technologies in analytical chemistry, such as multidimensional gas or ultra-high performance liquid chromatography coupled with high resolution mass spectrometry.

Specific themes that the topic will be focused on:
• Integrated science with multi-omics approach
• Identification Through Translation in Biomarker Discovery
• Volatilome Research: A View to Genomic, Transcriptomic and Proteomic Interactions
• VOC Response to Stimuli: Is There An Inter-Species Link?
• Mass Spectrometry in Metabolomics; GC/LC; HRMS/PTR-MS/IM-MS/IMR-MS?

Original research articles, review papers and short communications are encouraged. Papers on plant VOC discovery, validation and applications as biomarkers to improve diagnostic outcomes in plant health are encouraged. Also, papers linking VOC profiles with renewable energy production from biomass using anaerobic digestion and other bioecological systems are welcome. Applications of mass spectrometry techniques should be a common theme in the papers submitted.



Dr. Herbig is currently an employee of IONICON Analytik and a member of the Scientific Advisory Board of the Human Breath Atlas. All other Topic Editors declare no competing interests.

Keywords: metabolomics, transcriptomics, multi-omics, volatilome, VOC, biomarker, MS, GC, LC

Important note: All contributions to this Research Topic must be within the scope of the section and journal to which they are submitted, as defined in their mission statements. Frontiers reserves the right to guide an out-of-scope manuscript to a more suitable section or journal at any stage of peer review.

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