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All metabolites occur as a result of activity within biological systems. Primary metabolites are the intermediate nodes in the metabolic pathways leading to the synthesis of high molecular weight biomolecules. Where primary metabolism is a required component of life, it is not enough to sustain life in the continually changing conditions of the biosphere. Therefore, a second set of highly diverse biochemical materials arises, known as secondary metabolites or idiolites, which are utilized by organisms to interact with their environment. Living systems have deployed communication networks by means of synthesizing and releasing idiolites in response to other organisms, including humans, and there is still much to learn about the wide range of biochemical diversity in metabolites, or the 'metabonosphere'.

This symposium takes a systems biology approach to explore secondary metabolites and their networks, to infer their biological effects and potential benefits for human health.

Organization: New York Academy of Sciences

(Courtesy of Secondary Metabolites, via plantscience4u.blogspot.com)

Systems Biology Approaches to Secondary Metabolites and Metabonomics