in the post-genomic era, scientists have been making increasing efforts to describe the relationship between the genome and phenotype, or observable physical or biochemical characteristics, in cells and organisms. it has become clear that even a complete understanding of the genes and proteins in a living system do not fully reveal those characteristics. researchers began studying the metabolome, or the metabolites in cells and organisms, in an effort to understand the way that these metabolites affect cell characteristics and behaviors. this book provides a concise and practical text to introduce students and researchers to metabolome analysis. the book begins with an introduction to the concepts behind metabolomics; discusses metabolites from a chemical standpoint and the analytical challenges that they present; and then moves on to sampling, sample preparation, analytical toold, and data analysis and management. while mass spectrometry is the primary tool for metabolome analysis, it is not on its own a perfect one, and so the authors also discuss liquid and gas chromatography, highlighting the advantages and limitations of each technique. perhaps the most unique feature of this book is the inclusion of four chapters discussing successful metabolome studies of different organisms.