IREC Metabolomics Core

Metabolomics and lipidomics are at the forefront of systems biology, providing unmatched insight into biochemical regulation, disease mechanisms, and individualized metabolic states. 

At the IREC Metabolomics Core Facility two state-of-the-art instruments are currently available for use - Orbitrap Exploris 240 HR-MS (Pole FATH, Dr. Kristian Serafimov, Prof. Olivier Feron) and Synapt XS QToF (Pole LTAP, Dr. Joseph P. Dewulf, Prof. Vincent Haufroid) offering researchers robust, high-throughput analysis for a wide range of metabolomic applications

These technologies are essential for advancing personalized medicine, early diagnostics, and biomarker discovery — enabling researchers to decipher complex biological systems with unprecedented resolution. At the IREC Metabolomics Core Facility, we offer state-of-the-art capabilities for both targeted and untargeted metabolomic and lipidomic analyses. Our Metabolomics workflow supports confident annotation of 400+ curated metabolites using our in-house library. All analyses are supported by a robust bioinformatics pipeline built in RStudio and Python, delivering statistical analysis, visualization-ready plots, and biologically meaningful interpretations. Our team provides end-to-end support — from sample preparation to data reporting — ensuring rigor and reproducibility across every project. Whether you're mapping central carbon flux, profiling lipid mediators, or seeking publication-ready datasets, we provide the instrumentation, informatics, and scientific guidance to turn complex biological samples into actionable insights. Some, but not all the services we provide include:

Untargeted Metabolomics - with our dual-polarity, HILIC-based isomer-resolved workflow. We cover more than 450 annotated metabolites (in-house curated library) from diverse biological pathways enabling confident metabolite identification. 

Untargeted Lipidomics - High-resolution lipid profiling using μLC with dual-polarity mass spectrometry - this service enables advanced separation and structural annotation of complex lipid classes with high sensitivity and coverage. 

Bile Acid Profiling - Isomer-selective quantification of bile acids via parallel reaction monitoring (PRM) on high-resolution Orbitrap LC-MS. The workflow provides robust differentiation of structural isomers and quantitation across a panel of physiologically relevant bile acid species (in-house library currently for over 40 species). 

Chiral Compound Separations - Enantioselective resolution of chiral molecules including D/L amino acids and R/S isomers using LC-based methods. Ideal for applications in pharmacokinetics, stereoselective metabolism, and biochemical pathway studies. 

Half-Life & Drug Metabolism Studies - Drug detection in different biological matrices (culture media, blood, etc.) 

Metabolic Flux Analysis (Fluxomics) – Stable isotope tracing with 13C/2H/15N-labeled substrates coupled to high-resolution Orbitrap LC-MS for dynamic pathway-level analysis. Enables assessment of intracellular fluxes, metabolic rewiring, and labelling enrichment in metabolism.