How AI is making it easier to spot unknown chemicals in our bodies

Ever wondered how scientists figure out what's in our bodies? It's not as easy as it sounds. They often use a method called metabolomics. This involves looking at tiny amounts of chemicals, or metabolites, in our cells. The problem is, there are lots of unknown metabolites out there. And without a reference, it's hard to identify them. But now, there's a new tool called FFNet. It's like a super-smart detective for metabolites. FFNet uses two different ways to look at data from a machine called a mass spectrometer. This machine gives a unique fingerprint for each chemical. One part of FFNet looks at the big picture of this fingerprint. The other part zooms in on the tiny details. Then, it combines these two views to make a really accurate description of the chemical. Scientists tested FFNet on lots of different chemicals. They found that it was better than other tools at predicting what these chemicals were. Even when the chemical wasn't in their reference library, FFNet could still find similar chemicals. This is a big deal because it means scientists can now identify more chemicals in our bodies than ever before. But why does this matter? Well, understanding these chemicals can help us learn more about how our bodies work. It can also help us find new treatments for diseases. So, FFNet is not just a cool tool. It's a step forward in science.