Journal News

New tool matches microbial and metabolic metaproteomic data

Ecem Arpaci
By Ecem Arpaci
April 30, 2025

Metaproteomics is the study of all proteins expressed in entire communities, such as soil and gut microbiomes, and often requires bioinformatics approaches to analyze large quantities of data. However, until recently, none of these tools mapped protein or peptide data onto information about their biological functions.

To address this gap, in a recent study in Molecular & Cellular Proteomics, Tibo Vande Moortele of Ghent University and an international team of researchers created PathwayPilot. This bioinformatics resource combines proteomic data, including protein identification and abundances, with metabolic pathway data. Users can upload peptide or protein data, choose their desired pathways for analysis and export the results in various formats for further analysis. This makes it easier for researchers to identify the biochemical functions of proteins between organisms in a microbial community or between communities. The team tested PathwayPilot’s accuracy by analyzing data from a study on lipid metabolism and found that nearly all results matched to a known pathway.

Researchers can use this tool to compare the metaproteomic effects of environmental factors such as temperature or determine the role of a microorganism in its community, with promising applications in medical microbiology and ecology. PathwayPilot currently can only be used to compare two groups, so the team plans to continue updating the resource.

Enjoy reading ASBMB Today?

Become a member to receive the print edition four times a year and the digital edition monthly.

Learn more
Ecem Arpaci
Ecem Arpaci

Ecem Arpaci is a biochemistry student at Imperial College London and a research intern at Radboud University Medical Center. She is an ASBMB Today volunteer contributor.

Get the latest from ASBMB Today

Enter your email address, and we’ll send you a weekly email with recent articles, interviews and more.

Latest in Science

Science highlights or most popular articles

Innovative platform empowers scientists to transform venoms into therapeutics
Journal News

Innovative platform empowers scientists to transform venoms into therapeutics

May 13, 2025

Scientists combine phage display and a “metavenome” library to discover new drugs that bind clinically relevant human cell receptors. Read about this recent Molecular & Cellular Proteomics paper.

Meet Shannon Reilly
Profile

Meet Shannon Reilly

May 12, 2025

The JLR junior associate editor discusses the role of adipocytes in obesity at Weill Cornell Medical School.

Meet Donita Brady
Interview

Meet Donita Brady

May 8, 2025

Donita Brady is an associate professor of cancer biology and an associate editor of the Journal of Biological Chemistry, who studies metalloallostery in cancer.

Glyco get-together exploring health and disease
Interview

Glyco get-together exploring health and disease

May 7, 2025

Meet the co-chairs of the 2025 ASBMB meeting on O-GlcNAcylation to be held July 10–13, 2025, in Durham, North Carolina. Learn about the latest in the field and meet families affected by diseases associated with this pathway.

Targeting toxins to treat whooping cough
Journal News

Targeting toxins to treat whooping cough

May 1, 2025

Scientists find that liver protein inhibits of pertussis toxin, offering a potential new treatment for bacterial respiratory disease. Read more about this recent study from the Journal of Biological Chemistry.

Elusive zebrafish enzyme in lipid secretion
Journal News

Elusive zebrafish enzyme in lipid secretion

May 1, 2025

Scientists discover that triacylglycerol synthesis enzyme drives lipoproteins secretion rather than lipid droplet storage. Read more about this recent study from the Journal of Biological Chemistry.