Metabolomics is a very useful technology to understand and later engineer a biological system based on the knowledge of total metabolite profile of an organism. My research strategy is to expand the application areas of metabolomics to two new areas, microbial metabolic engineering and food science and technology of unique tropical bioproducts from Southeast Asia for the improvement of microbial based bioproduction of various useful compounds and the quality improvement and assessment of high value food commodities: a)specialty coffee, b) fine cacao, c) tropical fruits (mangosteen, mango, banana, pineapple), d) shrimp, e) fermented soybean tempe, f) herbal plants. My research resulted in the first publication on the authentication of world’s most expensive coffee, Kopi Luwak, first metabolite analysis of mangosteen, fermented food tempe, several herbal plants and tropical fruits such as pineapple. These studies are important to give feedback to the food industry.