Untargeted Metabolomics Services

Untargeted Metabolomics

Comprehensive high-resolution small-molecule profiling to reveal global metabolic changes, identify differential metabolites, and support biological discovery.

Untargeted metabolomics provides a broad view of small-molecule changes that sit close to phenotype, helping researchers explore the biochemical activity underlying complex biological systems. Using liquid chromatography–mass spectrometry (LC-MS), this approach supports discovery-led analysis across suitable biological sample types, conditions and experimental groups.

Novogene Europe supports untargeted metabolomics projects through its Cambridge Omics Centre, using high-resolution LC-MS analysis, metabolite annotation and bioinformatics workflows. The service helps researchers investigate differential metabolites, pathway changes, disease mechanisms, microbiome interactions and treatment response, with potential integration alongside other omics data.

Service Highlights

High-resolution LC-MS Workflow

Built around Vanquish™ UHPLC coupled with Orbitrap™ Exploris™ 120 HRAM MS, supporting high-resolution metabolite profiling across suitable sample types.

Broad Metabolite Profiling

Untargeted analysis captures a wide range of small-molecule signals, helping researchers explore global metabolic changes without limiting the study to predefined targets.

Differential Metabolite Discovery

Statistical analysis helps identify metabolites that differ between sample groups, supporting studies of biological response, disease mechanisms and treatment effects.

Pathway-level Interpretation

Metabolite annotation and pathway analysis help connect biochemical changes with underlying biological processes and broader multi-omics research questions.

Applications

Disease Mechanism Research

Untargeted metabolomics helps researchers explore metabolic changes associated with disease development, progression and underlying biochemical mechanisms.

Microbiome and Host Interaction

Metabolite profiling can support studies of microbiome activity, host–microbe interactions and biochemical changes linked to microbial communities.

Treatment Response Studies

Global metabolite analysis can help investigate biological responses to treatments, interventions or experimental conditions across suitable sample types.

Biomarker and Pathway Discovery

Differential metabolite and pathway analysis can support biomarker discovery and reveal pathway-level changes linked to biological phenotypes.

Specifications

Sample Requirements

The quantities listed are provided for reference only. Please download the Sample Requirements for detailed guidance, or contact us to discuss your project-specific requirements.

Sample Type	Minimum amount	Recommended amount
Human & Animal Tissue	20 mg	100 mg
Plant Tissue	20 mg	100 mg
Plasma/ Serum	20 μL	100 μL
Urine	20 μL	100 μL
Saliva	100 μL	200 μL
Feces/Intestinal contents	20 mg	100 mg
Amniotic fluid/Bile/Tear, etc	100 μL	200 μL
Supernatant/Fermentation broth	1 mL	2 mL
Microbial thallus	10 uL	50 uL
Microbial solution	1 mL	2 mL
Cell pellets	≥10⁶ cells	1×10⁷ cells
Culture medium	100 mg	200 mg

Sample Requirements

The quantities listed are provided for reference only. Please download the Sample Requirements for detailed guidance, or contact us to discuss your project-specific requirements.

Sample Type	Minimum amount	Recommended amount
Human & Animal Tissue	20 mg	100 mg
Plant Tissue	20 mg	100 mg
Plasma/ Serum	20 μL	100 μL
Urine	20 μL	100 μL
Saliva	100 μL	200 μL
Feces/Intestinal contents	20 mg	100 mg
Amniotic fluid/Bile/Tear, etc	100 μL	200 μL
Supernatant/Fermentation broth	1 mL	2 mL
Microbial thallus	10 uL	50 uL
Microbial solution	1 mL	2 mL
Cell pellets	≥10⁶ cells	1×10⁷ cells
Culture medium	100 mg	200 mg

Sample Requirements

The quantities listed are provided for reference only. Please download the Sample Requirements for detailed guidance, or contact us to discuss your project-specific requirements.

Sample Type	Minimum amount	Recommended amount
Human & Animal Tissue	20 mg	100 mg
Plant Tissue	20 mg	100 mg
Plasma/ Serum	20 μL	100 μL
Urine	20 μL	100 μL
Saliva	100 μL	200 μL
Feces/Intestinal contents	20 mg	100 mg
Amniotic fluid/Bile/Tear, etc	100 μL	200 μL
Supernatant/Fermentation broth	1 mL	2 mL
Microbial thallus	10 uL	50 uL
Microbial solution	1 mL	2 mL
Cell pellets	≥10⁶ cells	1×10⁷ cells
Culture medium	100 mg	200 mg

Sample Requirements

The quantities listed are provided for reference only. Please download the Sample Requirements for detailed guidance, or contact us to discuss your project-specific requirements.

Sample Type	Minimum amount	Recommended amount
Human & Animal Tissue	20 mg	100 mg
Plant Tissue	20 mg	100 mg
Plasma/ Serum	20 μL	100 μL
Urine	20 μL	100 μL
Saliva	100 μL	200 μL
Feces/Intestinal contents	20 mg	100 mg
Amniotic fluid/Bile/Tear, etc	100 μL	200 μL
Supernatant/Fermentation broth	1 mL	2 mL
Microbial thallus	10 uL	50 uL
Microbial solution	1 mL	2 mL
Cell pellets	≥10⁶ cells	1×10⁷ cells
Culture medium	100 mg	200 mg

LC-MS Profiling and Analysis

Recommended data outputs and analysis examples are provided for reference only. For detailed information, please contact us to discuss your project-specific analysis requirements.

Platform Type	Q Exactive™ HF-X Platform Performance Parameters
Resolution	240,000 @ m/z 200
Mass Range	50–6,000 m/z
Scan Rate	Up to 40 Hz
Mass Accuracy	Internal standard <1 ppm RMS; external standard <3 ppm RMS
Sensitivity	Full scan MS: 100 fg on-column with a signal-to-noise ratio (S/N) of 150:1 SIM: 50 fg on-column with a signal-to-noise ratio (S/N) of 150:1
Dynamic Range	> 5,000:1

LC-MS Profiling and Analysis

Recommended data outputs and analysis examples are provided for reference only. For detailed information, please contact us to discuss your project-specific analysis requirements.

Platform Type	Q Exactive™ HF-X Platform Performance Parameters
Resolution	240,000 @ m/z 200
Mass Range	50–6,000 m/z
Scan Rate	Up to 40 Hz
Mass Accuracy	Internal standard <1 ppm RMS; external standard <3 ppm RMS
Sensitivity	Full scan MS: 100 fg on-column with a signal-to-noise ratio (S/N) of 150:1 SIM: 50 fg on-column with a signal-to-noise ratio (S/N) of 150:1
Dynamic Range	> 5,000:1

LC-MS Profiling and Analysis

Recommended data outputs and analysis examples are provided for reference only. For detailed information, please contact us to discuss your project-specific analysis requirements.

Platform Type	Q Exactive™ HF-X Platform Performance Parameters
Resolution	240,000 @ m/z 200
Mass Range	50–6,000 m/z
Scan Rate	Up to 40 Hz
Mass Accuracy	Internal standard <1 ppm RMS; external standard <3 ppm RMS
Sensitivity	Full scan MS: 100 fg on-column with a signal-to-noise ratio (S/N) of 150:1 SIM: 50 fg on-column with a signal-to-noise ratio (S/N) of 150:1
Dynamic Range	> 5,000:1

LC-MS Profiling and Analysis

Recommended data outputs and analysis examples are provided for reference only. For detailed information, please contact us to discuss your project-specific analysis requirements.

Platform Type	Q Exactive™ HF-X Platform Performance Parameters
Resolution	240,000 @ m/z 200
Mass Range	50–6,000 m/z
Scan Rate	Up to 40 Hz
Mass Accuracy	Internal standard <1 ppm RMS; external standard <3 ppm RMS
Sensitivity	Full scan MS: 100 fg on-column with a signal-to-noise ratio (S/N) of 150:1 SIM: 50 fg on-column with a signal-to-noise ratio (S/N) of 150:1
Dynamic Range	> 5,000:1

Specifications

Sample Requirements

The quantities listed are provided for reference only. Please download the Sample Requirements for detailed guidance, or contact us to discuss your project-specific requirements.

Sample Type	Minimum amount	Recommended amount
Human & Animal Tissue	20 mg	100 mg
Plant Tissue	20 mg	100 mg
Plasma/ Serum	20 μL	100 μL
Urine	20 μL	100 μL
Saliva	100 μL	200 μL
Feces/Intestinal contents	20 mg	100 mg
Amniotic fluid/Bile/Tear, etc	100 μL	200 μL
Supernatant/Fermentation broth	1 mL	2 mL
Microbial thallus	10 uL	50 uL
Microbial solution	1 mL	2 mL
Cell pellets	≥10⁶ cells	1×10⁷ cells
Culture medium	100 mg	200 mg

Sample Requirements

The quantities listed are provided for reference only. Please download the Sample Requirements for detailed guidance, or contact us to discuss your project-specific requirements.

Sample Type	Minimum amount	Recommended amount
Human & Animal Tissue	20 mg	100 mg
Plant Tissue	20 mg	100 mg
Plasma/ Serum	20 μL	100 μL
Urine	20 μL	100 μL
Saliva	100 μL	200 μL
Feces/Intestinal contents	20 mg	100 mg
Amniotic fluid/Bile/Tear, etc	100 μL	200 μL
Supernatant/Fermentation broth	1 mL	2 mL
Microbial thallus	10 uL	50 uL
Microbial solution	1 mL	2 mL
Cell pellets	≥10⁶ cells	1×10⁷ cells
Culture medium	100 mg	200 mg

Sample Requirements

The quantities listed are provided for reference only. Please download the Sample Requirements for detailed guidance, or contact us to discuss your project-specific requirements.

Sample Type	Minimum amount	Recommended amount
Human & Animal Tissue	20 mg	100 mg
Plant Tissue	20 mg	100 mg
Plasma/ Serum	20 μL	100 μL
Urine	20 μL	100 μL
Saliva	100 μL	200 μL
Feces/Intestinal contents	20 mg	100 mg
Amniotic fluid/Bile/Tear, etc	100 μL	200 μL
Supernatant/Fermentation broth	1 mL	2 mL
Microbial thallus	10 uL	50 uL
Microbial solution	1 mL	2 mL
Cell pellets	≥10⁶ cells	1×10⁷ cells
Culture medium	100 mg	200 mg

Sample Requirements

The quantities listed are provided for reference only. Please download the Sample Requirements for detailed guidance, or contact us to discuss your project-specific requirements.

Sample Type	Minimum amount	Recommended amount
Human & Animal Tissue	20 mg	100 mg
Plant Tissue	20 mg	100 mg
Plasma/ Serum	20 μL	100 μL
Urine	20 μL	100 μL
Saliva	100 μL	200 μL
Feces/Intestinal contents	20 mg	100 mg
Amniotic fluid/Bile/Tear, etc	100 μL	200 μL
Supernatant/Fermentation broth	1 mL	2 mL
Microbial thallus	10 uL	50 uL
Microbial solution	1 mL	2 mL
Cell pellets	≥10⁶ cells	1×10⁷ cells
Culture medium	100 mg	200 mg

LC-MS Profiling and Analysis

Recommended data outputs and analysis examples are provided for reference only. For detailed information, please contact us to discuss your project-specific analysis requirements.

Platform Type	Q Exactive™ HF-X Platform Performance Parameters
Resolution	240,000 @ m/z 200
Mass Range	50–6,000 m/z
Scan Rate	Up to 40 Hz
Mass Accuracy	Internal standard <1 ppm RMS; external standard <3 ppm RMS
Sensitivity	Full scan MS: 100 fg on-column with a signal-to-noise ratio (S/N) of 150:1 SIM: 50 fg on-column with a signal-to-noise ratio (S/N) of 150:1
Dynamic Range	> 5,000:1

LC-MS Profiling and Analysis

Recommended data outputs and analysis examples are provided for reference only. For detailed information, please contact us to discuss your project-specific analysis requirements.

Platform Type	Q Exactive™ HF-X Platform Performance Parameters
Resolution	240,000 @ m/z 200
Mass Range	50–6,000 m/z
Scan Rate	Up to 40 Hz
Mass Accuracy	Internal standard <1 ppm RMS; external standard <3 ppm RMS
Sensitivity	Full scan MS: 100 fg on-column with a signal-to-noise ratio (S/N) of 150:1 SIM: 50 fg on-column with a signal-to-noise ratio (S/N) of 150:1
Dynamic Range	> 5,000:1

LC-MS Profiling and Analysis

Recommended data outputs and analysis examples are provided for reference only. For detailed information, please contact us to discuss your project-specific analysis requirements.

Platform Type	Q Exactive™ HF-X Platform Performance Parameters
Resolution	240,000 @ m/z 200
Mass Range	50–6,000 m/z
Scan Rate	Up to 40 Hz
Mass Accuracy	Internal standard <1 ppm RMS; external standard <3 ppm RMS
Sensitivity	Full scan MS: 100 fg on-column with a signal-to-noise ratio (S/N) of 150:1 SIM: 50 fg on-column with a signal-to-noise ratio (S/N) of 150:1
Dynamic Range	> 5,000:1

LC-MS Profiling and Analysis

Recommended data outputs and analysis examples are provided for reference only. For detailed information, please contact us to discuss your project-specific analysis requirements.

Platform Type	Q Exactive™ HF-X Platform Performance Parameters
Resolution	240,000 @ m/z 200
Mass Range	50–6,000 m/z
Scan Rate	Up to 40 Hz
Mass Accuracy	Internal standard <1 ppm RMS; external standard <3 ppm RMS
Sensitivity	Full scan MS: 100 fg on-column with a signal-to-noise ratio (S/N) of 150:1 SIM: 50 fg on-column with a signal-to-noise ratio (S/N) of 150:1
Dynamic Range	> 5,000:1

Resources

Example Analysis Output

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Metabolite Heatmap

Visualise relative abundance patterns of differential metabolites across samples and experimental groups.

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Sample-level Variation

Use PCA to assess overall metabolite profile variation and group separation across samples.

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Sample Correlation

Review correlation patterns between samples to evaluate overall data consistency and biological grouping.

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KEGG Annotation

Summarise annotated metabolites by KEGG pathway category to support pathway-level interpretation.

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Metabolite Volcano Plot

Highlight significantly changed metabolites based on fold change and statistical significance.

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KEGG Enrichment Analysis

Identify enriched metabolic pathways associated with differential metabolites across comparison groups.

Webinars

From Genes to Function: Introduction to Metabolomics for Multi-Omics Study

Learn how metabolomics complements genomics and transcriptomics by providing a direct view of cellular activity. We will explore untargeted metabolomics workflows, practical applications, and key considerations for integrating metabolomics into multi-omics studies.

Learn More

Frequently Asked Questions

Why does untargeted metabolomics use both positive and negative ion modes?

Different metabolites ionise differently in mass spectrometry. Some compounds are more easily detected in positive ion mode, while others are better detected in negative ion mode. Using both modes helps improve metabolome coverage and supports broader small-molecule profiling.

Positive and negative ion mode data are usually processed separately. If combined interpretation or customised bioinformatics analysis is required, this should be discussed during project setup.

Can I compare the abundance of different metabolites within the same sample?

Why might a specific compound not be detected in untargeted metabolomics?

How many metabolites or features can untargeted metabolomics detect?

Explore Metabolomics Resources

Access webinars, brochures and case studies covering sequencing technologies, study planning and data interpretation.

Speak with a Specialist

Have a project in mind?

Send us your enquiry and a Novogene Europe specialist will be in touch.