Reliable biological and multi-omics research through biometrology

• Published in: Analytical and bioanalytical chemistry Vol. 416; no. 16; pp. 3645 - 3663
• Main Authors: Dong, Lianhua, Zhang, Yu, Fu, Boqiang, Swart, Claudia, Jiang, Huayan, Liu, Yahui, Huggett, Jim, Wielgosz, Robert, Niu, Chunyan, Li, Qianyi, Zhang, Yongzhuo, Park, Sang-Ryoul, Sui, Zhiwei, Yu, Lianchao, Liu, Yangyang, Xie, Qing, Zhang, Hongfu, Yang, Yueyuxiao, Dai, Xinhua, Shi, Leming, Yin, Ye, Fang, Xiang
• Format: Journal Article
• Language: English
• Published: Berlin/Heidelberg Springer Berlin Heidelberg 01.07.2024; Springer Nature B.V
• Subjects: Analytical Chemistry; Biochemistry; Biological analysis; Biological research; Characterization and Evaluation of Materials; Chemistry; Chemistry and Materials Science; Feature Article; Food Science; Laboratories; Laboratory Medicine; Materials traceability; Metrology; Monitoring/Environmental Analysis; Nucleic acids; Reference materials; Translation; Biometrology; Reference materials; Measurement uncertainty; Reproducibility; Multi-omics; Metrological traceability
• ISSN: 1618-2642; 1618-2650
• DOI: 10.1007/s00216-024-05239-3

Metrology is the science of measurement and its applications, whereas biometrology is the science of biological measurement and its applications. Biometrology aims to achieve accuracy and consistency of biological measurements by focusing on the development of metrological traceability, biological reference measurement procedures, and reference materials. Irreproducibility of biological and multi-omics research results from different laboratories, platforms, and analysis methods is hampering the translation of research into clinical uses and can often be attributed to the lack of biologists’ attention to the general principles of metrology. In this paper, the progresses of biometrology including metrology on nucleic acid, protein, and cell measurements and its impacts on the improvement of reliability and comparability in biological research are reviewed. Challenges in obtaining more reliable biological and multi-omics measurements due to the lack of primary reference measurement procedures and new standards for biological reference materials faced by biometrology are discussed. In the future, in addition to establishing reliable reference measurement procedures, developing reference materials from single or multiple parameters to multi-omics scale should be emphasized. Thinking in way of biometrology is warranted for facilitating the translation of high-throughput omics research into clinical practices. Graphical abstract