Within the One Health and precision medicine framework, accurate characterization of the human exposome requires innovative and robust analytical chemistry methodologies capable of measuring complex mixtures of exogenous chemicals and associated endogenous molecular responses. This Research Topic focuses on significant advances in analytical and bioanalytical chemistry that enable high-confidence exposure assessment and biomarker discovery in real biological and environmental matrices.
Traditional exposure assessment approaches often lack objectivity and are limited in quantifying individual internal dose. In contrast, recent progress in high-resolution and high-throughput mass spectrometry, coupled with metabolomics, proteomics, lipidomics, and chemometrics, has accelerated the development of reproducible analytical workflows—from sample preparation and separation to confident identification, quantification, and data harmonization across batches and laboratories.
This Research Topic aims to highlight cutting-edge analytical technologies and standardized pipelines that advance exposomics and exposure-related biomarker research. We particularly encourage submissions that provide detailed methodological innovation, rigorous analytical validation (e.g., sensitivity, selectivity, accuracy, precision, robustness), and demonstration in real samples such as human biofluids/tissues, organ-on-a-chip systems, animal models, and population cohorts.
Potential themes include, but are not limited to:
• Innovative mass spectrometry methodologies and instrumentation: high-resolution MS, ion mobility, data-independent acquisition, high-throughput platforms, and method development for complex matrices.
• Sample preparation and separation science: enrichment, cleanup, miniaturization, automation, microfluidics, and strategies for trace-level exposure chemicals.
• Identification and quantification strategies: targeted/untargeted workflows, suspect screening, structural elucidation, reference standards, isotope labeling, and confidence reporting.
• Chemometrics and computational methods for analysis: batch correction, feature extraction, deconvolution, multi-block integration, and robust statistical/ML pipelines for exposure signatures.
• Multi-omics analytical workflows (metabolomics/proteomics/lipidomics) supporting exposure assessment and biomarker discovery with analytical validation.
• Quality assurance and standardization: QC materials, inter-lab comparability, harmonized reporting, and reproducible workflows for exposomics.
Article types and fees
This Research Topic accepts the following article types, unless otherwise specified in the Research Topic description:
- Editorial
- FAIR² Data
- Mini Review
- Original Research
- Perspective
- Review
Articles that are accepted for publication by our external editors following rigorous peer review incur a publishing fee charged to Authors, institutions, or funders.
Keywords: Exposomics, Mass spectrometry, Bioanalytical chemistry, Metabolomics, Proteomics, Biomarkers, Method validation
Important note: All contributions to this Research Topic must be within the scope of the section and journal to which they are submitted, as defined in their mission statements. Frontiers reserves the right to guide an out-of-scope manuscript to a more suitable section or journal at any stage of peer review.
