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Environmental Medicine

  1. University
  2. Faculties
  3. Faculty of Medicine
  4. Chairs and professorships
  5. Institute of Environmental Medicine and Integrative Health
  6. Environmental Metabolomics

Environmental Metabolomics

Jamie Afghani PhD
Junior Group Leader "Environmental Metabolomics"
Environmental Medicine
  • Phone: -

Email:

Background

The metabolome encompasses the entire nonpeptide, small molecule, i.e., metabolite (≤ 1.5 kDa) composition of a biological system, which includes both host and environmental factors and contains the subfield of lipidomics. Metabolites are the downstream products of the genome and the proteome and are involved in a wide range of different processes from glycolysis to immune system modulation. Previous-known applications of the metabolome are determining the state of the cell and biomarker discovery.

The environment, whether it is at the macro (weather, pollution) or micro (bacterial) scale, can heavily impact our health, and one way in which it can do so is through the modulation, secretion, exposure of small molecules.

Research Focus

Broadly, the group of Environmental Metabolomics aims to utilize small molecules to improve patient outcomes and measure the impact that small molecules have on health. For the former, as the current standards for diagnostics typically involve invasive procedures, and we would like to ease the burden on the patient through the development of non-invasive diagnostics. Alongside of this, as patient groups for treatment can sometimes divide into responder and non-responders, we intend to apply these non-invasive diagnostics for patient treatment response stratification in order to aid in the development of a personalized medicine approach.
Umweltmedizin Augsburg
For the later, small molecules secretions from bacteria, such as short chain fatty acids, play a role in the immune system response. To better understand the pathogenesis of microbial-influenced diseases, we seek to connect microbiome research with the small molecules detected in human matrices. Alongside of this, as some small molecules, such as per- and polyfluoroalkyl substances (PFAS), are considered environmental contaminates, we intend to elaborate on the downstream health impacts that PFAS have.

Selected Literature

Afghani J., Huelpuesch C., Schmitt-Kopplin P., Traidl-Hoffmann C., Reiger M.*, Mueller C.* (2021). Enhanced Access to the Health-Related Skin Metabolome by Fast, Reproducible and Non-Invasive WET PREP Sampling. Metabolites.

Afghani J, Traidl-Hoffmann C, Schmitt-Kopplin P, Reiger M, Mueller C. An Overview of the Latest Metabolomics Studies on Atopic Eczema with New Directions for Study. Int J Mol Sci. 2022 Aug 8;23(15):8791. doi: 10.3390/ijms23158791. PMID: 35955924; PMCID: PMC9368995.

Sasaki M, Suaini NHA, Afghani J, Heye KN, O'Mahony L, Venter C, Lauener R, Frei R, Roduit C. Systematic review of the association between short-chain fatty acids and allergic diseases. Allergy. 2024 Jul;79(7):1789-1811. doi: 10.1111/all.16065. Epub 2024 Feb 23. PMID: 38391245.

Team

Rithvik Padkanti
Technical Assistant IMPROVE +
Environmental Medicine
  • Phone: -

Email:

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