MetaboNews -- December 2017
MetaboNews Masthead
Published in partnership between
TMIC and the Metabolomics Society
Issue 76 - December 2017

CONTENTS:


Online version of this newsletter:
 http://www.metabonews.ca/Dec2017/MetaboNews_Dec2017.htm
TMIC Services
TMIC Services

Welcome to the seventy-sixth issue of MetaboNews, a monthly newsletter published in partnership between The Metabolomics Innovation Centre (TMIC, http://www.metabolomicscentre.ca/) and the international Metabolomics Society (http://www.metabolomicssociety.org/), to keep metabolomics researchers and other professionals informed about new technologies, software, databases, events, job postings, conferences, training opportunities, interviews, publications, awards, and other newsworthy items concerning metabolomics. MetaboNews represents the one-stop-shop for the very latest and most critical news about the science of metabolomics. In this issue, we feature a Metabolomics Spotlight article titled "Expansion of metabolomics tools to examine the exposome", and a metabolomics interview with Julijana Ivanisevic of the University of Lausanne (Switzerland).
This issue of MetaboNews is supported by:

Chenomx -- Metabolite Discovery & Measurement
Chenomx Inc.

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Metabolomics Society Logo

Metabolomics Society News

CONFERENCE CORNER 
Metabolomics 2018

The 14th Annual Conference of the Metabolomics Society will be held in Seattle, Washington, USA, on June 24-28, 2018. The Society’s annual conference consistently features the latest and greatest advances in metabolomics science. In 2018, we converge on Seattle, a world-class metropolis set within the lush, natural surroundings of the Pacific Northwest.
 
A Call for Abstracts will be made in early December. Further details will be released regularly at http://metabolomics2018.org/. We look forward to seeing you at the exciting Metabolomics 2018 meeting in Seattle!

Deadline extension for Expressions of Interest to host the 2020 Metabolomics Conference in Asia
The Metabolomics Society is calling for interested members in the Greater Asia region to express their interest in hosting the 2020 annual Metabolomics Society meeting (http://metabolomics2020.org/). We are extending the deadline of expression of interest (EOI) until 20th December 2017. Please send notice of your interest using this form by the deadline.

You should name individuals who will be key to forming a Local Organizing Committee (LOC), and outline the scientific plan for the conference. The LOC will report to the Metabolomics Society and assist A-S-K staff to select a suitable venue and organize the conference. The tasks of the LOC are to ensure national and regional support for the conference, to assist the Society in administrative planning and, most importantly, to chair and organize the scientific management of the conference, including forming an International Organizing Committee that is responsible for the scientific aspects of the meeting.

Please complete the application form outlining your ideas to maximize the scientific quality and outreach of the conference. For further enquiries, please contact the Society via A-S-K Associates (metabolomics@askusa.com).

MEMBERS CORNER

Board of Directors
Words from the Chair (Jules Griffin)
The first thing to say is that for November we had two meetings of the Board of Directors. As you may know, if you follow this section, one of the on-going tasks we have had is to find a publisher or journal to partner with to produce a 'society journal.' We held an extraordinary meeting of the Board to update on progress. This has been a long process but I think we can see light at the end of the tunnel. We have interest from a number of publishers and hope to have a decision very soon. Watch this space!

We also discussed the creation of a new society award. Oliver Jones put forward the case that currently the society does a lot for early-career members through a very vibrant EMN along with a number of travel awards. In addition, we have awards for lifetime achievements in the form of Honorary Fellowships. However, we don’t have anything in the middle. We still have to iron out some of the details in the proposal, in particular sorting out the criteria to judge people at different career stages, but we should have a new award available in time for the Seattle meeting.

The last thing to report is that we have been plagued by a number of companies that advertise predatory conferences, with names that are nearly identical to our own. There have been reports in both scientific journals and national newspapers describing the deceptive practices and poor management of these conferences. Two recent articles describe the magnitude of the problem: http://retractionwatch.com/2017/11/22/us-court-issues-injunction-omics-stop-deceptive-practices/ and https://www.timeshighereducation.com/news/predatory-conferences-now-outnumber-official-scholarly-events#survey-answer. So, if you want to attend the only true 14th Annual International Conference of the Metabolomics Society, you need to head to Seattle from June 24th-28th, 2018. If you have questions about an email you've been sent inviting you to a conference in metabolomics, I would strongly urge you to check whether the conference is listed in MetaboNews or on the Society’s website. If not, it might be worth checking that someone isn't trying to take advantage of you.

Early-career Members Network (EMN)
EMN Webinar series – 2017
The 16th EMN Webinar series will be held on December 19th, 2017. Dr. Andrew Lane from University of Kentucky will introduce Stable Isotope Resolved Metabolomics (SIRM) and its applications to cancer metabolism research. Stay tuned for additional details via email.

The 15th EMN webinar series session was held on 14th November 2017. Dr. Dinesh Barupal from NIH West-Coast Metabolomics Center, UC Davis, showcased ChemRICH as an alternative to biochemical pathway mapping for metabolomic datasets. All the videos for the EMN webinar series can be found on the Metabolomics Society website.

Bursary program
EMN bursary program provides support to early-career scientists (including graduate students and post-docs) to attend national and international events related to the metabolomics field. Early-career scientists will be able to apply for a bursary ($500) towards the cost of travel and conference/event fees. The program will be announced within the next weeks through the society website and EMN Facebook page.

Membership News
Membership renewal for 2018 now available!
Membership of the Metabolomics Society is based on the calendar year and this year’s membership will end December 31st 2017. All current members will need to renew their membership to stay in good standing. You can renew your membership now for 2018 here. Remember to renew early to take advantage of our early bird discounted registration fees. Join now and save some money!

We hope that you have enjoyed being part of and benefited from the considerable expansion of the Metabolomics Society during the past few years, and will remain a loyal member of our growing community. As the Society continues to expand, we expect to be able to offer further membership benefits including discounted member registration at the 14th Annual Metabolomics Society Conference in Seattle. Student members and Early Career members with over three months standing are also able to apply for our Student Prize and Travel Awards for the conference.


INTERNATIONAL AFFILIATES CORNER

Australian & New Zealand Metabolomics Network (ANZMN)
Visit https://sites.google.com/site/anzmn2/
The ANZMN congratulates those successful in the most recent Australian Research Council Funding round. Congratulations to:
 Great work all.

The ANZMN also takes this opportunity to wish metabolomacists everywhere a very merry Christmas and all the best for a successful New Year.
 Spotlight

Metabolomics Spotlight

Expansion of metabolomics tools to examine the exposome

 Feature article contributed by:

Caroline H. Johnson, Assistant Professor, Department of Environmental Health Sciences, Yale School of Public Health, CT, USA
Benedikt Warth, Assistant Professor, Department of Food Chemistry and Toxicology, University of Vienna, Austria
Mingliang Fang, Assistant Professor, School of Civil and Environmental Engineering, Nanyang Technological University, Singapore
Gary Siuzdak, Professor, Center for Metabolomics, The Scripps Research Institute, CA, USA

In our recent publication, we demonstrate the utility of a metabolomics exposure assessment workflow to aid in the analysis of the exposome1. The exposome, first proposed in 2005 as the totality of environmental exposures encountered from birth to death, was conceived to address the pressing need for innovative methodological developments in exposure assessment, to better understand the link between causality and disease2. It is a highly interdisciplinary approach which requires biomonitoring for a vast variety of external and internal exposures, assessments of biological response, and bioinformatics to integrate and analyze the different kinds of datasets. High resolution mass spectrometry-based metabolomics can play a unique role, identifying causal pathways that link exposure to biological impact. In addition, metabolomics analysis can yield a holistic snapshot of the effects of an incident exposure on all biological systems within the body, and generate an expressed phenotype of exposures; the exposotype3.

The aims of our work are to overcome some of the challenges for metabolomics in studies of the exposome, which include a lack of comprehensive automated analytical workflows to analyze multiple xenobiotic classes simultaneously, incomplete databases containing xenobiotic compounds, and the need to link exposures with biological impact. As a solution, we expanded the METLIN metabolite database (https://metlin.scripps.edu) to include 700,000 xenobiotics from the United States Environmental Protection Agency's (EPA's) 'Distributed Structure-Searchable Toxicity (DSSTox)' database (https://www.epa.gov/chemical-research/distributed-structure-searchable-toxicity-dsstox-database)4, the dataset underlying the EPA's CompTox Chemistry Dashboard5, allowing for a more comprehensive metabolite database. We also expanded the metabolomics data automated processing software XCMSOnline (https://xcmsonline.scripps.edu) to include a readout of the biological effect of a xenobiotic through metabolomics-derived pathway analysis.

Our publication details the application of the newly expanded METLIN database to identify xenobiotics in human biological fluids. This publication includes three xenobiotics with endocrine disrupting potential; genistein, an isoflavone and common food constituent/supplement, zearalenone, a mycotoxin and frequent contaminant of grain-based food, and triclosan, an antibacterial agent used in personal care products. Spiking experiments were carried out in plasma and urine samples at low nanomolar concentrations, which constituted a realistic baseline scenario in epidemiological studies. The samples were analyzed by HPLC-QTOF/MS and data processed by XCMSOnline; all three xenobiotics could be identified in the dosed blood and urine samples through comparison of the mass-to-charge ratios to the newly expanded METLIN database. We also demonstrated the potential of the biochemical pathway analysis housed on XCMSOnline for evaluating a xenobiotic's mode of action. MCF-7 breast cancer cells were incubated with 100 nM of zearalenone for 48 h, and untargeted metabolomics analysis was performed. Figure 1A shows a cloud plot of the metabolic features significantly dysregulated due to zearalenone dosing. This included an increased abundance of amino acids, nucleosides, and nucleotides (Figure 1C). In addition, a novel feature recently added to the platform, the pathway cloud plot, showed the metabolic pathways associated with these changes, which were automatically detected by this new functionality and manually verified using authentic standards (Figure 1B).

Thus, this workflow demonstrates the automatic identification of modulated pathways of any xenobiotic, which is a unique, integrated advantage of the applied workflow and may be a valuable tool in systems toxicology. Another advantage of the pathway cloud plot is that metabolite identifiers can be predicted, resulting in a faster data evaluation process. This proof-of-principle experiment and workflow addresses many of the methodological challenges current exposome research is facing, such as linking exposures to specific biological responses, and serves to gain a deeper understanding of the impact of environmental exposures and combinatory toxic effects on human health. It is also expected that this platform can support large-scale studies for initial xenobiotic screening, hypothesis generation, and the elucidation of underlying mechanisms of toxicity and combinatory effects.

Metabolic pathway analysis

Figure 1. Metabolic pathway analysis visualizing the effect of the xenoestrogen zearalenone on MCF-7 breast cancer cells. A) Cloud plot showing metabolic features altered as a result of a 48 h exposure. The color intensity of a bubble represents the p-value (all < 0.05; the more intense the lower the p-value). The radius represents the fold change of a specific metabolic feature. B) Pathway cloud plot maps changes to biochemical pathways and translates the individual metabolic features reported to the systems biology/toxicology level. C) Selected underlying endogenous key metabolites and their fold change1.


References
  1. Warth B, Spangler S, Fang M, Johnson CH, Forsberg EM, Granados A, Martin RL, Domingo-Almenara X, Huan T, Rinehart D, Montenegro-Burke JR, Hilmers B, Aisporna A, Hoang LT, Uritboonthai W, Benton HP, Richardson SD, Williams AJ, Siuzdak G. Exposome-Scale Investigations Guided by Global Metabolomics, Pathway Analysis, and Cognitive Computing. Anal Chem 2017;89(21):11505-11513.
  2. Wild CP. Complementing the Genome with an “Exposome”: The Outstanding Challenge of Environmental Exposure Measurement in Molecular Epidemiology. Cancer Epidemiology Biomarkers & Prevention 2005;14(8):1847-1850.
  3. Rattray NJW, Charkoftaki G, Rattray Z, Hansen JE, Vasiliou V, Johnson CH. Environmental Influences in the Etiology of Colorectal Cancer: The Premise of Metabolomics. Curr Pharmacol Rep 2017;3(3):114-125.
  4. Richard AM, Williams CR. Distributed structure-searchable toxicity (DSSTox) public database network: a proposal. Mutation Research/Fundamental and Molecular Mechanisms of Mutagenesis 2002;499(1):27-52.
  5. McEachran AD, Sobus JR, Williams AJ. Identifying known unknowns using the US EPA’s CompTox Chemistry Dashboard. Analytical and Bioanalytical Chemistry 2017;409(7):1729-1735.

Please note: If you know of any metabolomics research programs, software, databases, statistical methods, meetings, workshops, or training sessions that we should feature in future issues of this newsletter, please email Ian Forsythe at metabolomics.innovation@gmail.com.

 MetaboInterview Icon

MetaboInterview
This section features interviews with prominent researchers in the field of metabolomics. The aim of these interviews is to shed light on metabolomics researchers around the world and give them an opportunity to share their metabolomics story. In this issue, we feature an interview with Julijana Ivanisevic.
Julijana Ivanisevic

 Scientific Coordinator and Director of the Metabolomics Unit, a Senior Lecturer at the Faculty of Biology and Medicine, University of Lausanne, Lausanne, Switzerland


Julijana Ivanisevic
Biography

Julijana Ivanisevic is a Coordinator of Metabolomics Service and Research Unit and a Senior Lecturer at the Faculty of Biology and Medicine, University of Lausanne (www.unil.ch/metabolomics). Her research expertise is in mass spectrometry-based metabolomics application to biomedical research, evolutionary biology and ecology; and the focus of her research group is on metabolomics-led study of brain energy metabolism in health, ageing and disease to decipher the neurochemistry of cognition.

She joined the University of Lausanne (UNIL) in September 2015 after working as a postdoctoral researcher in Prof. Gary Siuzdak's Center for Metabolomics and Mass Spectrometry, The Scripps Research Institute in La Jolla, California, USA. She received her PhD in Biology at the Aix-Marseille University (Marseille, France) in 2011.

Metabolomics Interview (MN, MetaboNews; JI, Julijana Ivanisevic)

 MN: How did you get involved in metabolomics?

JI: During my PhD project I was interested in comparing chemical fingerprints of phylogenetically related species of marine sponges, identifying their components—"secondary" metabolites, and understanding their ecological roles. While attempting this with natural product chemists and chemometricians, I fortunately came upon metabolomics. As a biologist eager to tell the story about the role these small molecules play in organisms, and specifically how they mediate communication and defense in marine invertebrates (Metabolomics 2011, PLOS One 2011), I was attracted by the unique capabilities of metabolomics. At this point, I decided to apply for a postdoctoral position in Gary Siuzdak’s Center for Metabolomics at The Scripps Research Institute. Today I can only repeat what Oscar Yanes said some time ago, "I arrived at the right location at the right time and with the right people." I fully enjoyed the time of friendly, interactive, thought-provoking, and integrative science in Gary’s lab that encouraged me to integrate metabolomics into my future career path.

 MN: What are some of the most exciting aspects of your work in metabolomics?

JI: As a biologist trained in chemistry over the past 10 years, the most exciting aspect of my work in metabolomics is the translation of mass spectrometry data into metabolite identities and biologically relevant information. This aspect of metabolomics, at the interface between the chemistry and biology, is taking off at an amazingly rapid pace and it’s very exciting to be a part of this ascending momentum. With the advancements in mass spectrometry and computational science, the potential of metabolomics as phenotyping technology is evolving rapidly. In my group, we are using this potential of metabolomics to gain new insights into the neurochemistry of brain function in health and disease, as a continuation to my work at Scripps (Cell Chemical Biology 2014, Aging 2016).

 MN: What key metabolomics initiatives are you pursuing at your research centre or institute?

 JI: The research strategy of our Faculty of Biology and Medicine (at UNIL) focuses on developing innovative technologies and applying them to clinical research as well as to gain an understanding of the molecular mechanisms that underlie brain function and metabolic diseases (i.e., cancer and diabetes). Accordingly, we collaborate mainly with molecular biologists and clinicians, and our key initiatives involve: the implementation of novel methodologies to facilitate qualitative and quantitative metabolome analyses (i.e., targeted pathway metabolomics, isotope-assisted tracking analysis, creation of reference metabolite databases, pathway and network analysis); metabolomics-led, system’s wide study of brain energy metabolism in health and disease (Alzheimer´s disease project awarded by Foundation Pierre-Mercier); and the exploration of metabolic reprogramming and interventions in cancer (Nature Immunology 2017).

And, while the University of Lausanne has no department of chemistry, it maintains an active effort in this area and is proud of Prof. Dubochet’s Nobel Prize in Chemistry this year.

MN: What is happening in your country in terms of metabolomics?

JI: To the best of my knowledge, metabolomics is already being applied in a wide variety of laboratories in Switzerland, specialized in phytochemistry and bioactive natural product chemistry, legal medicine, toxicology, screening for inborn errors of metabolism, systems biology, etc. Several computational biology teams, in collaboration with the clinical consortium at the University hospitals, are focused on human population genome-wide association studies to unravel novel gene-metabolite-disease associations. Clinicians are also investigating metabolomics for personalized approaches to medicine.

Lausanne constitutes an important strategic point for metabolism research in Switzerland; Lausanne Integrative Metabolism & Nutrition Alliance (LIMNA) assembles high profile, internationally renowned scientists in metabolic disorders, specifically glucose brain sensing and diabetes research, mitochondrial metabolism and ageing, metabolic signaling, cancer metabolism and immunotherapy research, etc.

 MN: How do you see your work in metabolomics being applied today or in the future?

 JI: My work in metabolomics includes fundamental analytical developments with a view towards its application in neurochemistry and understanding brain metabolism. The methodology work includes omic scale, pathway-oriented metabolite profiling (Analytical Chemistry 2013) and translation of metabolomics data to a biochemically relevant pathway and network information (Nature Methods 2017). Key to accomplishing this is our development of interactive tools (implemented in XCMS Online, Nature Methods 2017) for data exploration, and the concept of autonomous workflow for simultaneous metabolite quantification and identification (Analytical Chemistry 2014). My team’s overarching goal is the application of these technologies to advance the understanding of how the central nervous system functions in health and disease. One prime example is the impact of ageing on brain metabolism (Aging 2016), an area that will help characterize the neurochemistry of cognition challenged by ageing and age-related diseases. Along this line, we have undertaken the metabolomics-led, system-wide studies to explore the connections between brain energy metabolism and Alzheimer's disease, in collaboration with clinicians and fundamental neuroscientists. Also, together with my colleague Dr. Hector Gallart-Ayala, a dedicated analytical metabolomics scientist, we are currently taking the initiative to carry out a population-based metabolome survey to unravel the potential associations between metabolic traits and different psychiatric disorders.

 MN: As you see it, what are metabolomics' greatest strengths?

JI: In this post-genomic era of biology, metabolomics' greatest strength is its comprehensive and high-throughput nature as a phenotyping technology that allows for the cost-effective measurement of a massive panel of metabolites from diverse biological matrices. This has a significant advantage in many current population-based initiatives. Many diseases have a dominant metabolic component (cancer, atherosclerosis, diabetes, neurodegenerative disorders, etc.) and disease mechanisms can be better understood, and significantly more variance explained, when viewed from the metabolite, and not only gene, perspective. Downstream of genome, metabolite levels are significantly influenced by synergistic effects of many different environmental risk factors, including the internal microbiome, oxidative stress and inflammation and the external climate, pollutants, pathogens, food, drugs, and social interactions we are exposed to. As the end product of the genome under the direct influence of the environmental stressors, the metabolome provides the closest and dynamic measure of phenotype at the molecular level, allowing us to measure the integrated effect of both, genome and the environment.

 MN: What do you see as the greatest barriers for metabolomics? What improvements, technological or otherwise, need to take place for metabolomics to really take off?

JI: The greatest barrier for metabolomics may be related to its interdisciplinary nature and the lack of cross-talk and comprehension between the chemists, molecular biologists, chemical physicists, and bioinformaticians, as each has their own special language. Importantly, many metabolomics groups are made up of interdisciplinary teams where the communication between the experimental and computational scientists has significantly evolved for the better.

In terms of technical barriers, there is the difficulty of standardization (of sample preparation and analysis protocols), mainly due to high chemical diversity and a wide dynamic range of metabolite concentrations in biological samples. In untargeted metabolomics experiments, metabolite feature annotation in noisy datasets is still a major drawback, together with the identification of known unknowns (as well as real unknowns). Improvements are necessary both on the computational side, in terms of feature annotation algorithms and curated and more comprehensive spectral libraries to automatize spectra matching; as well as on the technological side, linear dynamic range of instrumentation should be augmented, and scanning speeds increase without compromising the sensitivity.
 
MN: How does the future look in terms of funding for metabolomics?

JI:  Metabolomics is gaining more and more interest; it is becoming an essential part of fundamental and clinical research studies and I'm optimistic about the funding future for collaborative research and innovation activities in metabolomics in Europe. One great example is the PhenoMeNal (Phenome and Metabolome aNalysis) initiative, which is managed by a consortium of 13 European Partners (including Swiss Institute for Bioinformatics) to support and advance metabolomics data processing and analysis pipelines to improve the understanding of the mechanisms underlying health, ageing, and diseases. Horizon 2020 is the biggest EU Research and Innovation programme ever, with several calls for large-scale computing and technology-related proposals.

MN: What role can metabolomics standards play?

JI: Data sharing using publicly available standard repositories should become a common practice in metabolomics the same way it has been in other omic technologies. Data sharing will foster cross-comparisons, an important step towards validation of discoveries and more advanced data usage and exploration. The Metabolomics Standard Initiative supports the development of open data and metadata formats for metabolomics, and the MetaboLights (European equivalent to Workbench in the US) is an open database for metabolomics experiments where the information about the experimental design, biological system, technique, structural, and spectral information can be stored and publicly shared. Let's make the effort of data sharing for intelligent re-usage!

 MN: Do you have any other comments that you wish to share about metabolomics?

JI: The interdisciplinary work fosters creativity and innovation in metabolomics. The evolution of metabolomics will depend on the interaction, understanding, and synergy between experimental and computational scientists.
Please note: We are open to suggestions for our MetaboInterviews section. Please send suggestions for future interview candidates to Ian Forsythe at metabolomics.innovation@gmail.com.
Metabolomics Current Contents

Metabolomics Current Contents

Recently published papers in metabolomics:


Metabolomics Events

Metabolomics Events 

6-8 Dec 2017
Multiple biofluid and tissue types, from sample preparation to analysis strategies for metabolomics
Venue: Birmingham Metabolomics Training Centre, School of Biosciences, University of Birmingham, Birmingham, UK
This 3-day course will provide a comprehensive overview of dealing with complex biological samples for LC-MS analysis. The course is targeted towards students and researchers who are actively applying metabolomics in their research. The course will be led by experts in the field and include:
  • An overview of quenching and extraction strategies for different biological samples
  • Hands-on sample preparation using different sample types
  • Hands-on HILIC and reversed phase LC-MS data acquisition
  • Solid phase extraction clean up methods
  • An overview of data analysis and metabolite identification
  • An opportunity to ask questions and seek advice to prepare samples in your own research
Bursaries are now available for PhD students funded by the BBSRC, MRC, or NERC.

For further information and registration details, please visit http://www.birmingham.ac.uk/facilities/metabolomics-training-centre/courses/sample-analysis.aspx or contact bmtc@contacts.bham.ac.uk.
11-13 Dec 2017
MetaboMeeting 2017
Venue: University of Birmingham, UK
Make plans to attend the 10th successful MetaboMeeting conference. The meeting will bring together research scientists and practitioners from all areas of application and development of metabolic profiling, covering a wide range of experience from early career scientists to experts from throughout the international metabolomics field. MetaboMeeting 2017 continues to highlight the work of its attendees through both oral platform presentation and poster sessions.
The deadline for oral presentation abstracts is 15th July 2017.
The deadline for poster abstracts is 1st October 2017.

For further information, visit http://metabomeeting2017.thempf.org/.
14 Dec 2017
Free Practical Course - PhenoMeNal e-infrastructure: taking metabolomics data processing and analysis to the cloud
Venue: University of Birmingham, UK
No registration cost. Register here.
14-15 Dec 2017
Metabolite identification with the Q Exactive and LTQ Orbitrap
Venue: Birmingham Metabolomics Training Centre, School of Biosciences, University of Birmingham, Birmingham, UK
This two-day course will provide a hands-on approach to teach the latest techniques and tools available to perform metabolite identification. We will apply these tools on the Q Exactive and LTQ Orbitrap mass spectrometry family. The course is targeted towards students and researchers who are actively applying metabolomics.

The course will be led by experts in the field and include significant hands-on experience using both the Q Exactive and LTQ Orbitrap instruments to perform:
  • Data dependent acquisition
  • Data independent acquisition
  • MS/MS and MSn data acquisition
The course will finish with a session on the tips and tricks from the experts and an opportunity to ask questions.

Bursaries are now available for PhD students funded by the BBSRC, MRC, or NERC.

For further information and registration details, please visit http://www.birmingham.ac.uk/facilities/metabolomics-training-centre/courses/metabolite-identification.aspx or contact bmtc@contacts.bham.ac.uk.
8 Jan 2018
Metabolomics in Life Sciences
Learn about metabolomics principles and their applications in life sciences
Venue: Osaka University

About this course
This course is an introduction to metabolomics principles and their applications in various fields of life sciences.

We will provide a summary of all steps in metabolomics research; from experimental design, sample preparation, analytical procedures, to data analysis. The course also provides case studies of various kinds of research samples to attract students that are not familiar with metabolomics, providing them enough explanation to utilize metabolomics technology for their respective research fields.

Several examples of metabolomics applications will be introduced throughout the lectures. These include examples within food science and technology, metabolic engineering, basic biology, introduction to imaging mass spectrometry, and application in medical science.

No previous knowledge on metabolomics is needed but we recommend that students have an undergraduate-level understanding of Biochemistry, Analytical Chemistry, and Biostatistics, and that they learn about basic principles of multivariable analysis prior to taking this course.

For further information, please visit https://www.edx.org/course/metabolomics-life-sciences-osakaux-metab101x.
5-9 Feb 2018
EMBO Practical Course on Metabolomics Bioinformatics for Life Scientists
Venue: European Bioinformatics Institute (EMBL-EBI) - Wellcome Genome Campus, Hinxton, Cambridge,  CB10 1SD, UK

Application opens: Friday August 04 2017
Application deadline: Friday November 03 2017
Participation: Open application with selection
Contact: Emily Rees
Registration fee: £350 including accommodation & food
Apply now

Overview
This course will provide an overview of key issues that affect metabolomics studies, handling datasets and procedures for the analysis of metabolomics data using bioinformatics tools. It will be delivered using a mixture of lectures, computer-based practical sessions and interactive discussions. The course will provide a platform for discussion of the key questions and challenges in the field of metabolomics, from study design to metabolite identification.

Audience
This course is aimed at PhD students, post-docs and researchers with at least one to two years of experience in the field of metabolomics who are seeking to improve their skills in metabolomics data analysis. Participants ideally must have working experience using R (including a basic understanding of the syntax and ability to manipulate objects).
For further information, please visit https://www.ebi.ac.uk/training/events/2018/embo-practical-course-metabolomics-bioinformatics-life-scientists-4.
19-23 Mar 2018
Hands-on LC-MS for Metabolic Profiling
Venue: Imperial International Phenome Training Centre, Imperial College London, UK
 
Earlybird: £1750
Standard: £1950

This week long course covers how to perform a metabolic profiling experiment from start to finish. It will cover study design, sample preparation, the use of mass spectrometry for global profiling, targeted methodologies and data analysis.

Day 1: Introductory lectures in mass spectrometry and chromatography, study design and sample preparation, followed by preparation of biological samples for analysis on subsequent days.

Days 2 and 3: Analysis of biofluids through global profiling and targeted analyses; an introductory session to liquid chromatography, followed by sessions on each of the newest QToF and TQ instrumentation. Instrument set up, method development and acquisition will be covered. We have set a maximum of 3 attendees per instrument allowing for hands-on participation by all. Day 3 finishes with introduction to data analysis.

Day 4: Data analysis workshops where attendees will process the data acquired from the previous days, mixed with further statistics lectures, allowing for development of interpretation skills.

Day 5: Application lectures, tips, tricks and troubleshooting, optional trip to the MRC-NIHR National Phenome Centre.

For further information, please visit http://www.imperial.ac.uk/imperial-international-phenome-training-centre/courses/hands-on-lc-ms-for-metabolic-profiling/.

Please note: If you know of any metabolomics lectures, meetings, workshops, or training sessions that we should feature in future issues of this newsletter, please email Ian Forsythe (metabolomics.innovation@gmail.com).
Metabolomics Jobs

Metabolomics Jobs

This is a resource for advertising positions in metabolomics. If you have a job you would like posted in this newsletter, please email Ian Forsythe (metabolomics.innovation@gmail.com). Job postings will be carried for a maximum of four issues (eight weeks) unless the position is filled prior to that date.

Jobs Offered

Job Title Employer Location Posted Closes Source
PhD Studentship: Impact of Nutritional and Environmental Factors on the Proteome and Gene Expression in Chinook Salmon
 		University of Tasmania
 New Zealand and Tasmania, Australia
 15-Nov-2017
University of Tasmania
Postdoctoral Research Fellow
 		UBC Okanagan
 Kelowna, Canada
 3-Nov-2017 15-Dec-2017 UBC Okanagan
Postdoctoral Fellowship in Human Metabolomics
 		Cyprus International Institute for Environmental and Public Health
 Limassol, Cyprus
 2-Nov-2017 10-Dec-2017 EURAXESS
Scientist (Bioinformatics)
 International Agency for Research on Cancer
 Lyon, France 31-Oct-2017 5-Dec-2017 International Agency for Research on Cancer
Engineer/Data-Scientist in Metabolomics and Lipidomics
 Institute of Cardiometabolism and Nutrition (ICAN)
 Paris, France 10-Oct-2017   Institute of Cardiometabolism and Nutrition


Jobs Wanted

This section is intended for very highly qualified individuals (e.g., lab managers, professors, directors, executives with extensive experience) who are seeking employment in metabolomics. We encourage these individuals to submit their position requests to Ian Forsythe (metabolomics.innovation@gmail.com). Upon review, a limited number of job submissions will be selected for publication in the Jobs Wanted section.

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