Biomolecular Medicine

Researchers in Biomolecular Medicine are involved in a wide range of interdisciplinary research aimed at developing a better understanding of human health and disease, primarily through top-down systems biology approaches.

Biomolecular Medicine is led by Prof. Elaine Holmes who coordinates the research programme and has worked on a number of critical projects with Professors Nicholson and LIndon that have served to progress the field substantially over the last three decades.

Within the context of the Department of Surgery and Cancer (headed by Prof. Jeremy Nicholson), the research conducted in Biomolecular Medicine provides an excellent opportunity for developing translational medicine and collaboration across the Faculty of Medicine and the wider scientific community.

As one of the world’s largest research groups in metabolic science, researchers in Biomolecular Medicine have pioneered the field of metabonomics as a tool in systems biology and have been instrumental in the development of the analytics and chemometrics required to extract the wealth of metabolic information that can be derived from biofluids and tissues.

Research Programme

Research in Biomolecular Medicine covers a number of key areas that are of high importance in understanding the various factors that influence health and disease. In parallel to these research areas, is a substantial effort to develop the analytical platforms used in metabonomics, as well as the data analysis techniques needed to interrogate the complex datasets derived from these analyses and integrate them.  The Section provides a research hub and interface to the rest of the clinical department for development of new point-of-care diagnostics in personalised healthcare (area led by Professor Nicholson).

The interconnectedness of the various aspects of biological systems require a holistic approach and frequent interaction across all research areas is common, bound together by a need to describe systems that are more than just the sum of their parts. Top-down systems biology provides a suitable framework for integrating the research areas and promises to help us gain a better understanding of the processes that underlie health and disease.

Translation of results "from bench-to-bedside-and-back" to improve patient care is of key importance to ensuring findings have a high impact in the real world. The ability to do this in an efficient manner is enabled by the close working relationship of Biomolecular Medicine and other Sections in the Department of Surgery and Cancer.

Furthermore, collaboration across the Faculty and wider scientific community with researchers involved in epidemiological studies and risk assessment provide the opportunity for Biomolecular Medicine to provide novel complementary analyses that can be incorporated in research impacting on environmental policy development.

Main research areas and complementary technologies: