About us

For more than 30 years, the generalization of the post genomics technologies allowed biologists to have access to an extensive vision of living components, enabling them to integrate different levels of cellular organization and to propose a functional arrangement of genes and an interpretation of its expression regarding different variables or external factors defining a phenotype.

With the current ability to analyze, identify and quantify sets of metabolites in tissues, biofluids or cells, the study of metabolism (the founding discipline of biochemistry) is of major interest. The definition of metabolic profiles, resulting from hierarchical (transcription, translation) and enzymatic regulations, provides a large view of interactions between genetics and environment.

The relevance of most research programs involving metabolism studies is now based on different technologies for global metabolite analysis. The collection of metabolic information is performed using powerful analytical tools (mass spectrometry and nuclear magnetic resonance) and their processing/treatment with advanced bioinformatics solutions.

The ‘Metabolism Exploration Platform’ (PFEM) is a scientific and technological infrastructure that brings together all the skills and equipment needed for this purpose. Combining the expertise of the INRAE Research Centre of Clermont-Theix and of Clermont Auvergne University, this structure is dedicated to the study of "Metabolome" and of the "Proteome" with applications in different scientific fields: i) the food or the nutritional status in humans/animals, the modulation of metabolic phenotypes  associated with various pathologies related to aging, ii) the evaluation of environmental stimuli (biotic and / or abiotic) on the behaviour of complex biological systems (eg ecosystems, holobionts). Thanks to an extensive network of collaborations, its involvement in training and its leading role within the MetaboHUB infrastructure of excellence, the PFEM is a key player at national and international levels.