Decoding Nature: Metabolomics Approaches in Natural Product Drug Discovery

Introduction

Natural products remain one of the most important sources of novel therapeutic agents and bioactive compounds for pharmaceutical and nutraceutical development. With the increasing demand for rapid and accurate metabolite identification, advanced analytical technologies such as High-Performance Liquid Chromatography (HPLC), Liquid Chromatography–Mass Spectrometry (LC-MS), and Gas Chromatography–Mass Spectrometry (GC-MS) have become indispensable tools in modern natural product research.

These techniques enable comprehensive metabolite profiling, compound identification, quality assessment, and biomarker discovery from complex biological and plant matrices.

The workshop “Decoding Nature: Metabolomics Approaches in Natural Product Drug Discovery” is designed to provide participants with practical and theoretical insights into chromatographic and mass spectrometry-based metabolomics approaches. Particular emphasis will be placed on HPLC and LC-MS applications in metabolite separation, characterization, and bioactive compound discovery, while also introducing the role of GC-MS in volatile and low-molecular-weight metabolite analysis.

The workshop will further explore data interpretation, analytical workflows, and real-world applications of metabolomics in drug discovery and functional bioactive research.

Objectives

The workshop aims to:

1. Introduce the core principles of metabolomics and highlight its role in natural product-based drug discovery.
2. Discuss effective sample preparation methods and analytical workflow development for metabolomics research.
3. Familiarize participants with LC-MS workflows for metabolite profiling, compound identification, and characterization of bioactive molecules.
4. Introduce the applications of GC-MS in the analysis of volatile and low-molecular-weight metabolites.
5. Equip participants with knowledge of metabolomics data analysis, interpretation, and compound identification strategies.

Target Audience

The workshop is intended for:

• Undergraduate and postgraduate students in pharmaceutical sciences, analytical chemistry, food science, and related disciplines.
• PhD scholars and researchers working in natural products, metabolomics, and drug discovery.
• Faculty members and academic researchers interested in chromatographic and mass spectrometry-based analytical approaches.
• Professionals from pharmaceutical, herbal, nutraceutical, and biotechnology industries involved in quality control, bioactive compound analysis, and product development.
• Researchers seeking practical exposure to HPLC, LC-MS, and GC-MS applications in metabolomics and natural product research.