Recent advances of microbial metabolism analysis: from metabolic molecules to environments

Microbial metabolism analysis is of great significance to the biosynthesis industries and the diagnosis and treatment of infectious diseases caused by microorganisms. However, it remains a grand challenge to offer deep insight into microbial metabolism due to the particularly complex and dynamic processes. Analytical methods are recognized as the critical bottleneck that constrains the in-depth understanding of microbial metabolism. Specific and real-time analytical tools for microbial metabolic processes have currently drawn increasing attention. Here, we summarized the major advances over the past 5 years focusing on the following three aspects including real-time and dynamic analysis of metabolic molecules, selective analysis of specific metabolic pathways and quantitative analysis of the microbial metabolism. Finally, the remaining challenges and perspectives on microbial analysis are discussed and outlooked.