Connecting metabolism to development, disease and therapy

If you are wondering whether metabolism is important, consider the effect of holding your breath while you read through this introduction. Your genome will not change, and your RNA and protein expression patterns will not change much, if at all, but the abundance of numerous metabolites in your body will change substantially within seconds and ultimately produce a physiological response that restores homeostasis. 

Metabolism is complex and dynamic, involving hundreds of enzymes and reactions. Versions of many enzymes are found in most living organisms on earth. In development, metabolic processes are central for growth; in diseased tissues, metabolism is altered and contributes to pathology. Symbiotic or competitive metabolic interactions between organisms govern a broad swath of important biology in the immune system and gut. How these interactions are regulated by and coordinated with DNA-based, RNA-based and protein-based mechanisms remains under investigation. 

The metabolism field continues a rapid expansion. This session will explore a breadth of models and approaches being used to investigate how metabolism impacts development, homeostasis, disease and medicine.

Keywords: metabolism, metabolites, development, cancer, pathogen, drug action, lipids, cell fate 

Who should attend: anyone interested in learning how metabolism impacts development, disease or therapy

Theme song: “Stayin’ Alive” by the Bee Gees, because it’s all thanks to metabolism 

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Check out all ten thematic symposia planned for the 2022 ASBMB annual meeting:

• Diversity, equity and inclusion
• Protein machines and disorder
• Signaling
• Quality control in organelles
• Metabolism
• Enzymology
• RNA/DNA
• Membranes/lipids
• Glycobiology
• Education and professional development