The systematic study of the genetic fingerprint (genomics) and the biochemistry (metabolites) that goes with a specific cellular process requires the characterization of all the small molecules that form the profile of metabolites and the associated genes. The metabolome represents the collection of all the metabolites during certain process in an organism. The transcriptome represents the gene expression profile, all the messengers RNA in a defined condition. Then to understand the whole process, the studies of metabolites must be accompanied with studies of the gene expression, hence the metabolome must be accompanied by the transcriptome, so we can identify genes and metabolites whose synthesis is induced by a specific process, an infection or stress.... |