A comparative analysis of four methods of nuclear magnetic resonance spectroscopy (NMR) has helped to determine the best approach to study biomolecules in different sample types.

Metabolomics, the large-scale study of small molecules within cells, biofluids, tissues or organisms, has greatly improved understanding of how genetic and environmental factors influence metabolic processes. A key technique to study biomolecules in solution is solution-state NMR spectroscopy.

Although NMR is relatively less sensitive than mass spectrometry, “its reliability and reproducibility, along with the fact that NMR is a noninvasive and nondestructive technique, makes it a powerful tool for studying metabolites in complex mixtures,” says Upendra Singh, a biomedical scientist at KAUST. “Our objective was to help select a robust NMR method for the metabolomics study of a range of biological, plants and marine samples,” he adds.

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