The goal of metabolomics is to provide a detailed profile of the identity and concentration of metabolites in an organism at a particular point in time. Metabolomics is a relatively new discipline that builds on ongoing work in genomics and proteomics. Because metabolite levels can provide insight into the response of an organism to disease, metabolomics research may lead to new approaches to disease diagnosis and treatment. Potential samples of interest include cells, tissue, blood, saliva, and urine. The complexity of the metabolome poses significant analytical challenges because hundreds of metabolites may be detected in a single sample. Research in this area will focus on the development of novel analytical methodology for the detection and quantification of metabolites in biological matrices. Analytes of interest include, but are not limited to amino acids, fatty acids, and organic acids. Techniques of particular interest include gas chromatography/mass spectrometry and liquid chromatography/mass spectrometry.