In our lab, we use advanced metabolomics approaches to study marine organisms and microorganisms including corals, diatoms and phytoplankton. This is essential for understanding the dynamics of marine ecosystems. Beyond marine science, we collaborate widely with other labs and scientists to study non-marine systems across environmental, biomedical, and translational research fields. This includes the analysis of different types of biological samples including human biofluids, clinical samples, bacteria and cell cultures to study disease mechanisms, drug response, and metabolic perturbations.

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Marine samples present unique analytical challenges: they are characterized by high salt content, extremely low concentrations of metabolites, and high levels of variability in microbial composition, metabolite classes, and concentrations. These factors complicate analysis by causing ion suppression in mass spectrometry, limiting detection sensitivity, and increasing variability. Additionally, many marine metabolites are thermolabile or photosensitive, requiring careful handling to preserve their integrity during sample preparation and analysis. To address these challenges, a central focus of our lab is the development and optimization of metabolomics workflows and methodologies for both targeted and untargeted approaches. We continuously refine sample preparation protocols, extraction techniques, chromatographic separation, and data processing pipelines to improve metabolite coverage, identification and annotation, sensitivity, and reproducibility. These methodological advancements enable high-quality comparative analyses across complex matrices, contributing to progress in the field and advancing marine and terrestrial biological and environmental research.

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Our metabolomics work is closely integrated with other omics techniques, with key applications including: coral symbiosis and resilience under environmental stress and climate change; metabolic interactions between diatoms, phytoplankton, and their associated microbiomes; and marine microbial communities, with a focus on chemical signaling and metabolic exchange. Through these studies, we aim to elucidate how metabolic networks drive adaptation, ecological interactions, and biogeochemical processes in ocean systems. By integrating untargeted and targeted metabolomics approaches, we identify key metabolites and pathways that underpin biological responses to changing environmental conditions. In addition, our collaborations highlight the versatility of our metabolomics platform and its ability to address complex biological questions across scales—from molecular mechanisms to ecosystem-level processes. By combining analytical chemistry, advanced instrumentation, and bioinformatics, the lab serves as a hub for metabolomics-driven discovery and cross-disciplinary innovation.