Reactive oxygen species (ROS) have important roles in health and disease, but are chemically complex and difficult to measure accurately. This consensus statement proposes guidelines and best practices on the nomenclature and assessment of ROS, oxidative reactions and oxidative damage in cells, tissues and in vivo.

In this Review, TeSlaa, Ralser, Fan and Rabinowitz comprehensively review the fundamental biochemical aspects of the pentose phosphate pathway and discuss its biological relevance in the context of physiology and pathology.

Hanssen et al. demonstrate that associative learning is reduced when metabolic sensing is impaired in obesity and can be restored by liraglutide.

Metabolic networks in microbial organisms are highly diverse. Unravelling this metabolic flexibility not only reveals fundamental metabolic insights but also can yield benefits for society at large

This study presents a comprehensive pipeline to profile transmembrane receptors involved in macrophage-driven inflammation in pancreatic islets during the onset of diabetes. The authors identify GPR132 as a mediator of macrophage-driven inflammation and find compounds that reduce inflammation and improve glycaemic control.

The authors develop synthetic biotics, engineered from bacteria, that could treat phenylketonuria, an inherited defect of phenylalanine (Phe) metabolism.

Yao and Gong et al. identify WD40 repeat-containing protein 6 (WDR6) to be upregulated in the liver of insulin-resistant mice. WDR6 contributes to promoting hepatic de novo lipogenesis during insulin resistance by upregulation of fatty acid synthase, and the authors identify a small molecule to inhibit this effect of WDR6 and reduce hepatic steatosis.

In young women, brain insulin action enhances peripheral insulin sensitivity, but only during the follicular phase of the menstrual cycle. This effect is absent in the luteal phase, possibly due to hypothalamic insulin resistance.

Gao et al. perform functional profiling of 60 genetic variants of glucagon-like peptide 1 receptor (GLP1R) in vitro, and link variants with impaired GLP1R cell surface expression or cAMP activation to defective insulin secretion in vitro and to impaired glucose homeostasis and adiposity in the UK Biobank.

The authors explore the molecular signature of skeletal muscle adaptations to an acute bout of exercise in mice, providing a valuable resource that includes transcriptomic, epigenetic, proteomic and phosphoproteomic changes in muscle plasticity.

Here we reflect on touching points between basic science and clinical research, while highlighting key points to consider when submitting clinical work to our journal.

Subcellular quantitative analysis has been a long-standing goal of mass spectrometry imaging, but was originally thought to be unattainable. However, recent advances have made organelle-level absolute quantification through mass spectrometry imaging a reality, thanks to the development of nano secondary ion mass spectrometry.

Spatial metabolomics has matured and is driving innovation in mass spectrometry, metabolomics and spatial omics. With exciting discoveries, complementary capabilities and increasing accessibility, it has secured its place in the spatial biology toolbox, showing promise in biology, medicine and pharmacology.

Metabolic networks in microbial organisms are highly diverse. Unravelling this metabolic flexibility not only reveals fundamental metabolic insights but also can yield benefits for society at large