Metabolism encompasses the complex reactions integral to all life, and ultimately cells, tissues, and organisms function and react via changes in metabolism. We know that cells as well as organs are connected via metabolites, but hypothesize that by sharing select metabolites, units of biological function such as cells, can create integrated networks that allow rapid coordination and optimization between different parts. Furthermore, we posit that many diseases result from challenges that overwhelm the buffering that metabolic integration provides to each cell. The Centre of Excellence in Metabolic Integration, MetaScale, will explore how metabolism is spatially organized, and how metabolically integrated networks develop and respond. Our goal is to target diseases via the metabolic integration, either by reconstructing healthy networks or by finding metabolic by-passes.

2026

2028