Researchers from University of California San Diego, as part of a large collaboration with scientists around the world, have developed a new search tool to help researchers better understand the metabolism of microorganisms. Microbes are key players in virtually all biological and environmental systems, yet limitations in current techniques used to study microbial metabolism make it difficult to decode their interactions and activities.The new research, published in Nature Microbiology, directly addresses these limitations, which could ultimately transform understanding of both human health and the environment. Two of the many co-authors of the study are from the School of Chemistry and Biochemistry — Neha Garg, assistant professor, and Nicole Aiosa, graduate scholar.