It is now routinely possible to sequence and recover microbial genomes from environmental samples. To the degree it is feasible to assign transcriptional and translational functions to these genomes, it should be possible, in principle, to largely understand the complete molecular inputs and outputs of a microbial community. However, gene-based tools alone are presently insufficient to describe the full suite of chemical reactions and small molecules that compose a living cell. Metabolomic tools have developed quickly and now enable rapid detection and identification of small molecules within biological and environmental samples. The convergence of these technologies will soon facilitate the detection of novel enzymatic activities, novel organisms, and potentially extraterrestrial life-forms on solar system bodies. This review explores the methodological problems and scientific opportunities facing researchers who hope to apply metabolomic methods in astrobiology-related fields, and how present challenges might be overcome.

中文翻译：

---

代谢组学作为寻找天体生物学相关生物标志物的新兴工具。

现在通常可以从环境样本中测序和恢复微生物基因组。就将转录和翻译功能分配给这些基因组的可行性而言，原则上应该有可能在很大程度上了解微生物群落的完整分子输入和输出。然而，仅基于基因的工具目前不足以描述构成活细胞的全套化学反应和小分子。代谢组学工具发展迅速，现在可以快速检测和识别生物和环境样品中的小分子。这些技术的融合将很快促进对太阳系天体上新的酶活性、新生物和潜在的外星生命形式的检测。