Figure 1.

A broad depiction of the evolution of metabolic sciences across the centuries as depicted by technology and an art metaphor (van Gogh). Over the centuries (bio)chemists have advanced their tools and skills, toward sketching the perfect biochemical picture. The years prior to the twentieth century largely focused on elemental analysis and scientific deduction of individual and purified chemical structures while the post-twentieth century saw significant steps forward in analytics. The twenty first century analysis of metabolism is represented by a confluence of analytical, computational, and artificial intelligence technologies towards the characterization of all metabolic constituents considered collectively.