Programme Leader Track - MRC Laboratory of Medical Sciences

lms.mrc.ac.uk

Gut microbes may reveal heart disease risk years before symptoms

Scientists have discovered that chemicals produced by gut bacteria could act as an early warning system for future heart disease, potentially allowin...

imperial.ac.uk

METLIN 960 K: An Empirical Tandem Mass Spectrometry Data Resource

METLIN 960 K represents the largest collection of experimentally acquired small-molecule MS/MS spectra currently available. We introduce a reengineered publicaly accessible METLIN platform integrating high-resolution tandem mass spectrometry (MS/MS) data for over 960,000 empirically validated molecular standards. This scale was enabled by a high-throughput experimental framework integrating acoustic droplet ejection with high-throughput LC–MS/MS acquisition, allowing systematic empirical generation of MS/MS spectra from authentic standards. In addition to scale, METLIN 960 K provides a uniquely standardized MS/MS data set, with spectra acquired under controlled and consistent conditions across ionization modes and collision energies, enabling reproducible spectral comparison and machine-learning applications. Each compound is characterized by MS/MS spectra acquired in both positive and negative ionization modes across four collision energies (0, 10, 20, and 40 eV), enabling comprehensive fragmentation coverage and improved structural annotation. Designed as a reference library for XCMS-METLIN and compatible with machine-learning workflows, METLIN 960 K supports high-fidelity spectral matching, neutral loss analysis, and filtering of misannotations, including annotation of in-source fragments and biologically synchronized ranking of candidate metabolites. The platform also provides empirically derived MRM transitions on all standards (via METLIN-MRM), supporting quantitative method development across a chemically diverse range of metabolites, natural products, lipids, peptides, pharmaceuticals, and toxicants. A redesigned interface enables efficient querying by exact mass, formula, or structure with direct access to curated spectra and metadata. Two additional resources enhance identification: (1) METLIN Core, a high-frequency-use subset for rapid searching, and (2) > 1.02 million additional structures without MS/MS data for hypothesis generation. Derived exclusively from authentic standards, METLIN 960 K (https://metlin.scripps.edu) provides the largest publicly available empirical MS/MS database, delivering high-confidence annotation for both untargeted and targeted mass spectrometry workflows.

doi.org

GLP-1 physiology in obesity and development of incretin-based drugs for chronic weight management - Nature Metabolism

Holst reflects on the development of GLP-1-based drugs for the therapy of obesity, from early observations to remarkable results in more recent clinical trials, discussing physiological, pharmacological and clinical considerations related to their use.

dlvr.it

Giant viruses rewire control of cellular protein synthesis

Nature Microbiology, Published online: 23 April 2026; doi:10.1038/s41564-026-02338-yA giant mimivirus encodes its own cap-binding translation initiation complex, revealing an unexpected level of viral autonomy in rewiring host translation towards viral protein production.

go.nature.com

Longitudinal multimorbidity trajectories shape personalized glycaemic patterns

Nature Metabolism, Published online: 16 April 2026; doi:10.1038/s42255-026-01512-0In a multi-cohort longitudinal study integrating continuous glucose monitoring and circulating proteomics, cumulative age-related disease trajectories shape daily glycaemic variability and postprandial response to standardized meals.

dlvr.it

Multimorbidity defines glycaemic individuality in ageing

Nature Metabolism, Published online: 16 April 2026; doi:10.1038/s42255-026-01518-8A recent study published in Nature Metabolism finds that the co-occurrence of chronic diseases, rather than any single condition, drives the progressive deterioration of glycaemic control in older adults, reframing glucose management as a multimorbidity-informed challenge.

dlvr.it

Gut microbes may reveal heart disease risk years before symptoms

Scientists have discovered that chemicals produced by gut bacteria could act as an early warning system for future heart disease, potentially allowin...

imperial.ac.uk

The diversity and consistency of what and when people eat

Nature Metabolism, Published online: 23 April 2026; doi:10.1038/s42255-026-01504-0An exploratory, observational analysis involving 2.5 million food logs from over 20,000 adults across 2 weeks highlights both consistent and divergent patterns in food habits that may, in turn, influence human health.

dlvr.it

Measuring eating patterns in real life reveals high variability in timing and choices

Nature Metabolism, Published online: 23 April 2026; doi:10.1038/s42255-026-01503-1Using 10–14 days of time-stamped food intake logs on a smartphone app from more than 20,000 adults, this study shows that both meal timing and food choice are highly variable in real-world settings, with only a small fraction of individuals maintaining consistent first and last eating times or eating the same foods regularly.

dlvr.it

Exploring pancreatic beta-cell subgroups and their connectivity - Nature Metabolism

Rutter and Benninger discuss the role of putative controlling beta-cell populations in the context of intra-islet connectivity, how such a cellular hierarchy might be achieved and its potential role in islet physiology and diabetes.

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Obesity-induced inflammation: connecting the periphery to the brain - Nature Metabolism

Le Thuc and García-Cáceres discuss the effect of obesity-induced systemic inflammation on the brain, including hypothalamic circuits for whole-body energy homeostasis as well as cognitive function.

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Obesity as a catalyst for neurodegeneration - Nature Metabolism

In this Perspective, mechanisms by which overnutrition and obesity contribute to neurodegeneration are discussed.

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Gut microbiota-derived indole-3-lactic acid suppresses anti-PD-1 efficacy in esophageal squamous cell carcinoma

Zhou et al. reveal that gut L. salivarius and its metabolite indole-3-lactic acid (ILA) drive anti-PD-1 resistance in ESCC. Mechanistically, ILA activates AhR to suppress NF-κB signaling, triggering t...

cell.com

Harmonizing human plasma metabolite annotation with Plasma Benchmark - Nature Metabolism

dlvr.it

Advances and opportunities in measuring dietary intake: from omics to AI

Nature Metabolism, Published online: 18 March 2026; doi:10.1038/s42255-026-01494-zThis Review highlights recent technological advances in measuring dietary food intake, including artificial intelligence-based methods and approaches informed by the gut microbiome.

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Horizon Scanning Working Group genome engineering workshop | National Mouse Genetics Network

On the 26th and 27th of November, the Network’s Horizon Scanning Working Group held its second workshop designed to build a UK community around the latest advances in genome engineering technologies. ...

nmgn.mrc.ukri.org

Python metabolomics uncovers a conserved postprandial metabolite and gut–brain feeding pathway

Nature Metabolism, Published online: 19 March 2026; doi:10.1038/s42255-026-01485-0Leveraging pythons as an extreme model of feeding and fasting behaviour, this study uncovers para-tyramine-O-sulphate as a conserved postprandial metabolite that links nutrient intake to energy balance by activating hypothalamic neurons and suppressing food intake in pythons and mice.

dlvr.it

Atlas of one-carbon metabolism in conventional and germ-free mice reveals folate as a key determinant of biochemical pathways

Nature Metabolism, Published online: 26 March 2026; doi:10.1038/s42255-026-01489-wThe authors provide an interactive resource of folate one-carbon metabolism in 37 tissues in germ-free and conventional mice.

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Prague Metabolism Symposium 2026 – Prague Metabolism Symposium 2026

praguemetabolismsymposium.com

Saving The Life We Cannot See | NOEMA

Conservation has traditionally ignored the planet’s smallest life forms. Microbiologists are trying to change that — before it’s too late.

noemamag.com

Feeding gut microbes to nourish the brain: unravelling the diet–microbiota–gut–brain axis - Nature Metabolism

This Review provides an overview of the interplay between host diet and the gut microbiota, and how this affects brain function.

dlvr.it