Real-Time Volatilomics: A Novel Approach for Analyzing Biological Samples

Tomasz Majchrzak; Wojciech Wojnowski; Małgorzata Rutkowska; Andrzej Wasik

doi:10.1016/j.tplants.2019.12.005

Real-Time Volatilomics: A Novel Approach for Analyzing Biological Samples

Trends Plant Sci. 2020 Mar;25(3):302-312. doi: 10.1016/j.tplants.2019.12.005. Epub 2020 Jan 13.

Authors

Tomasz Majchrzak¹, Wojciech Wojnowski¹, Małgorzata Rutkowska¹, Andrzej Wasik²

Affiliations

¹ Gdańsk University of Technology, Faculty of Chemistry, Department of Analytical Chemistry, 80-233, Gdańsk, Poland.
² Gdańsk University of Technology, Faculty of Chemistry, Department of Analytical Chemistry, 80-233, Gdańsk, Poland. Electronic address: wasia@pg.edu.pl.

PMID: 31948793
DOI: 10.1016/j.tplants.2019.12.005

Abstract

The use of the 'omics techniques in environmental research has become common-place. The most widely implemented of these include metabolomics, proteomics, genomics, and transcriptomics. In recent years, a similar approach has also been taken with the analysis of volatiles from biological samples, giving rise to the so-called 'volatilomics' in plant analysis. Developments in direct infusion mass spectrometry (DI-MS) techniques have made it possible to monitor the changes in the composition of volatile flux from parts of plants, single specimens, and entire ecosystems in real-time. The application of these techniques enables a unique insight into the dynamic metabolic processes that occur in plants. Here, we provide an overview of the use of DI-MS in real-time volatilomics research involving plants.

Keywords: BVOCs; PTR-MS; direct infusion mass spectrometry; metabolomics; plant volatilome; volatilomics.

Publication types

Review

MeSH terms

Ecosystem*
Genomics
Mass Spectrometry
Metabolomics*
Proteomics