MetaboNews -- July 2017
MetaboNews Masthead
Published in partnership between
TMIC and the Metabolomics Society
Issue 71 - July 2017

CONTENTS:


Online version of this newsletter:
 http://www.metabonews.ca/Jul2017/MetaboNews_Jul2017.htm
TMIC Services
TMIC Services

Welcome to the seventy-first 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 from researchers at Metabolomics Australia titled "MASTR-MS: a web-based collaborative laboratory information management system (LIMS) for metabolomics", and a metabolomics interview with Nichole Reisdorph of the University of Colorado.
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 

Announcement of venue for the 2018 Metabolomics Conference…
We are excited to announce that the 14th Annual Conference of the Metabolomics Society will be held in Seattle, Washington, United States from 25-29 June 2018 at the Washington State Convention Center.

Congratulations to Prof Daniel Raftery and his local organising committee for preparing the winning bid to host the conference in Seattle. The 2018 conference will offer fantastic opportunities for metabolomics researchers, across all career-stages and disciplines, to network and share the latest advances in our field, whilst enjoying the natural beauty of Seattle and its surrounds.

Keep an eye on the website for key information and dates (http://metabolomics2018.org). We look forward to seeing you in Seattle next year.

Are you interested in hosting the 2020 Metabolomics Conference in Asia?
The Metabolomics Society will soon be calling for Expressions of Interest from members that are keen to host the annual conference in 2020. The conference location rotates through the major regions of the world, and in 2020 we plan to return to Asia. Please ensure that your Society membership is up-to-date to be eligible. Full application details will be emailed to members in the coming weeks.


MEMBERS CORNER

Board of Directors

Words from the Chair
Well the first thing to say is I haven’t had to chair a Board of Directors teleconference this month and that’s because in a few hours time we will be meeting in person ahead of the 13th International Meeting of the Metabolomics Society in a very sunny Brisbane. I have just finished my welcome slides and look forward to welcoming 520 delegates from 34 countries. Melissa Fitzgerald, Horst Joachim Schirra and team have done a fantastic job of pulling together an exciting and innovative programme, and I would also like to say a big thank you to Darren Creek for chairing the conference and training committee, for his role in acting as the central link between the Board of Directors and the Organizing Committees of the conference. Darren is about to finish his term as chair of the Conference and Training Committee. The Committee itself is in the process of metamorphosing into two separate committees. Sastia Putri will chair the new Conference Committee while Christophe Junot will chair the new Training Committee. I have many more people to thank but that’s slide 26 of the opening slides. So for now I’m going to keep this short and look forward to welcoming many of you to Brisbane!

Society Membership Survey

MEMBER OF THE METABOLOMICS SOCIETY? HELP THE METABOLOMICS SOCIETY HELP YOU!

Do you want the Metabolomics Society to know how to create better opportunities and improved benefits for members? We want to know what you think! Take 10 minutes to help the Metabolomics Society help you by completing a short survey!

You should have received an e-mail invitation with a link to the survey; you can also find the survey by clicking here: https://www.surveymonkey.com/r/MetabolomicsSocietySurvey

Those who participate will be entered to win $200 Amazon gift card! And, the greater the number of responses, the more gift cards we’ll give away. Thus, encourage your colleagues to take the survey!

NOT A MEMBER OF THE METABOLOMICS SOCIETY? YOU TOO CAN COMPLETE A SHORT SURVEY FOR A CHANCE TO WIN $200 AMAZON GIFT CARD

The Metabolomics Society would like to know how to better serve non-members and potential new members and we want to know what you think! Take 5 minutes to help the Metabolomics Society by completing a short survey.

To complete the survey, click here: https://www.surveymonkey.com/r/MetabolomicsSociety

Those who participate can win a $200 Amazon gift card! And, the greater the number of responses, the more we’ll give away. Encourage your colleagues to take the survey!
 
Call for nominations for Directors of the Metabolomics Society
In the next few months, the Metabolomics Society will undertake the annual process of nominating and electing new members to serve on the Society’s Board of Directors. We strongly encourage all Society members to play a role in nominations and elections.

Expectations for Directors appointment
The Society is led through the voluntary efforts of the Board of Directors. While this provides motivated individuals a fantastic opportunity to contribute to the activities, communications, and ultimately growth of our metabolomics community, it also requires a time commitment of typically two hours per week. In addition to tasks orchestrated through the monthly Board Meeting, each Director is expected to serve on at least two committees or task groups, and, in many cases, to lead and chair such a group (for the current committees and task groups, see http://metabolomicssociety.org/).

Nominations process
Full details of the nominations process will be made available on the Society’s website in the near future. Please keep in mind that the Society is an international organization involved in a wide range of subjects in the field of metabolomics. Our directors will serve us best if they reflect the diversity of backgrounds, expertise, interests, and geographic distribution of the many individuals who comprise our membership. In brief, (1) all individuals nominated must be current members of the Metabolomics Society, and (2) at least two members of the Society must support the individual’s nomination.

If you wish to nominate an individual to stand for election to the Board of Directors, please fill in the form available at http://goo.gl/forms/8oksEwC4224ZWHGF3. Nominees will be required to provide a short biography and statement of purpose by the end of July.

Please contribute to shaping the future of our Society by voting and playing an active role.


INTERNATIONAL AFFILIATES CORNER

 Australian & New Zealand Metabolomics Network (ANZMN)
Visit http://www.anzmn.org
Analytical Science Power list—now with added Omics

Guaranteed to cause excitement and annoyance in almost equal measure, the Analytical Scientist’s often controversial Power List has become an annual talking point within the field and wider scientific community. This year, rather than only one category, there are ten categories including Omics Explorers, Separation Scientists, Spectroscopists and Mass Spectrometrists. There are plenty of categories that metabolomics and lipidomics colleagues could nominate and be nominated for. There is no limit to the number of nominations you can submit. See https://theanalyticalscientist.com/issues/0517/the-power-list-2017-10-top-10s/ for more information and follow the link at the bottom of that page to vote. This would be a great chance to get omics some well-deserved recognition.

 
 Software Spotlight

Metabolomics Spotlight

MASTR-MS: a web-based collaborative laboratory information management system (LIMS) for metabolomics

 Feature article contributed by Saravanan Dayalan, David De Souza, Ute Roessner, Malcolm McConville

MASTR-MS is a comprehensive web-based LIMS solution specifically designed for metabolomics. It can be deployed either within a single laboratory or in a geographically distributed multi-laboratory setup. The system captures the entire sample processing pipeline starting from project and experiment design to sample analysis, data capture, and storage. It acts as an electronic notebook, facilitating project management within a single laboratory or a multi-node collaborative environment. MASTR-MS comprises five major modules, a Node Management System, a User Management System, a Quote Management System, a Project Management System, and a Data Management System.

The Node Management System allows this LIMS to be used in either a single node/laboratory or by a multi-site, collaborating laboratories/consortium. The User Management System manages the creation process of users, setting user privileges and assigning users to specific Nodes. MASTR-MS has six different user groups: Systems administrator, Administrator, Node representative, Project leader, Staff, and Client. The different user groups have a varied set of read, write access to projects and experiments.

The Quote Management System, which provides utility for Metabolomics labs that operate a service delivery model, manages queries made by clients and any associated quotes that are issued by the labs. The quote request and response is linked with the client details, the specific project, experiment, sample, run and resulting data, thus bringing together all components that make up the life cycle of a sample.

The Project Management System manages the metadata along with all aspects of project management, including project setup, experimental setup, sample tracking and finally the sample list generation, which would be used as the sequence list to run the analytical instrument. The Data Management System allows the automatic capture and storage of raw and processed data from the analytical instruments to MASTR-MS.

Importantly, the generic design of the data management component of MASTR-MS ensures that it can be used with instruments from different vendors. MASTR-MS is also being used as a LIMS solution for other data-rich technology platforms, such as proteomics, NMR, and high-resolution imaging. MASTR-MS already has considerable community support and new features will continuously be incorporated, including the capacity for researchers to directly upload their metadata and data to public metabolomics repositories such as MetaboLights and the Metabolomics Workbench. In addition, a reporting and export function is being developed at the user level, enabling the user to query the system and download data. In order to make automatic querying and retrieval easy, an API for MASTR-MS is being planned as well.

Citing MASTR-MS

MASTR-MS is freely available under the GNU GPL v3 licence and can be accessed from, https://muccg.github.io/mastr-ms/. In referring to MASTR-MS please cite:
  • MASTR-MS: a web-based collaborative laboratory information management system (LIMS) for metabolomics. Hunter A, Dayalan S, De Souza D, Power B, Lorrimar R, Szabo T et al., Metabolomics. 2017;13 2:14.

The Dashboard of MASTR-MS

Figure 1. The Dashboard of MASTR-MS showing the logged in user’s user requests, quote requests, recent projects and experiments.


MASTR-MS portal

Figure 2. MASTR-MS portal where project, experiment, sample and run details along with meta data are captured.


MASTR-MS feature in which all samples belonging to an experiment is displayed

Figure 3. MASTR-MS feature in which all samples belonging to an experiment is displayed, from which a subset can be selected for a single run.


The data sync client that is run on acquisition computers

Figure 4. The data sync client that is run on acquisition computers, which is responsible for the automatic collection and transfer of raw data from the acquisition PC to the MASTR-MS storage. 


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 Nichole Reisdorph.
Nichole Reisdorph

 Associate Professor in the Department of Pharmaceutical Sciences at the University of Colorado, Anschutz Medical Campus, USA


Nichole Reisdorph
Biography

I am an Associate Professor in the Department of Pharmaceutical Sciences at the University of Colorado, Anschutz Medical Campus. My research applies mass spectrometry to projects that are of therapeutic relevance to human diseases. While my lab’s main research focuses on systems approaches to understanding lung disease, our numerous collaborative efforts span from microbiome and toxicology research to exercise physiology and diabetes. Our laboratory and core facility have robust platforms in metabolomics, proteomics, and bioinformatics; these are applied to a very broad expanse of fields and interests.

In addition to my metabolomics background, I have extensive organizational and fiscal experience that I’ve previously used to serve the mass spectrometry community. This includes co-founding and serving as Treasurer for the Colorado Biological Mass Spectrometry Society (www.CBMSS.org). During my tenure, I was responsible for establishing the CBMSS as a non-profit organization, writing by-laws, setting up and managing money accounts, and providing financial statements to the Board and federal agencies. My fiscal experience includes managing a large core facility comprised of 18 scientists and students, co-organizing the 2010 United Stated Human Proteome Organization (US HuPO) meeting, and leading an internationally recognized Metabolomics and Proteomics training program.

Metabolomics Interview (MN, MetaboNews; NR, Nichole Reisdorph)

 MN: How did you get involved in metabolomics?

NR: I did my post doc in Dr. Gary Suizdak’s laboratory at The Scripps Research Institute in La Jolla, CA, USA. I was responsible for setting up a proteomics workflow; however, I also helped a colleague, Dr. Elizabeth Want, test some protein precipitation methods as part of a new direction the lab was taking, namely metabolomics. Everything was very new, including Gary’s visions for Metlin and XCMS. When I started my own mass spectrometry lab, metabolomics was a natural complement to our proteomics work. The power of metabolomics, in our case when applied to human health, was immediately clear. We spent the first few years developing and validating robust and reproducible assays and informatics workflows. While we now focus predominantly on metabolomics and lipidomics, we still do some proteomics.

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

NR: My research focuses on applying metabolomics to projects that are of therapeutic relevance to human diseases; we specifically focus on lung diseases. One of our most exciting projects is determining if small molecules can be used to determine response to asthma medication. This work focuses on two human cohorts of almost 1,000 individuals in total, giving us adequate sample sizes to test various hypotheses. We had previously found that a leukotriene could be used to predict response to one asthma medication; however, additional molecules are required to strengthen the model. Metabolomics enables us to take an unbiased approach to this type of biomarker discovery; our relatively deep coverage of the metabolome also allows us to understand mechanisms of disease. Our initial data in urine is very promising and we are currently analyzing data from matched plasma samples. This project is also allowing us to determine the impact of the exposome, specifically air pollution and PAHs, on the metabolome.

Another project uses a systems biology approach to determine mechanisms responsible for chronic obstructive pulmonary disease (COPD). This project is enabling us to sample individuals across time points to determine how disease progresses. Combining genomics and metabolomics datasets has allowed us to push the edge of informatic and statistical approaches!

As Director of the Mass Spectrometry Facility at the University of Colorado School of Pharmacy, I collaborate with others in supporting their metabolomics work. For example, we collaborate with groups focusing on epilepsy, alcoholism, multiple sclerosis, diabetes, obesity, cancer, and several others. Since metabolomics provides high coverage of human metabolism, we are able to compare results across disease states, from animals to humans, and between biofluids. This truly gives us a wide perspective on the role of small molecules in human disease!

The figure below shows how metabolomics technologies can be used to capture the effects of various elements on the metabolome and how this information can be used to improve human health. Our laboratory is involved in projects that focus on the exposures shown in red font.

Power of metabolomics to capture effects on the metabolome

Figure 1. Power of metabolomics to capture effects on the metabolome. Partial credit to Dr. Yasmeen Nkrumah-Elie for figure ideas.

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

 NR: Our campus recently created the Division of Biomedical Informatics and Personalized Medicine (BIPM), which is Directed by Dr. Kathleen Barnes. Our collaborative efforts with the BIPM includes developing a bioinformatics pipeline that enables interpretation of as much of our metabolomics datasets as possible. We are also working on mQTL strategies to determine genetic regulation of metabolites in both highly controlled and asthmatic groups. Within the BIPM and the SOP, we are integrating data from microbiome and metabolomics studies that focus on a range of human diseases, including asthma. Finally, we are working closely with our Nutrition center to develop a Foodomics program.

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

NR: Our National Institutes of Health (NIH) have invested considerable resources into a Metabolomics Common Fund. The Common Fund sponsored 5 Regional Metabolomics Centers that have enabled a number of high quality pilot studies and educational opportunities. Additional funds were used to support supplements to add metabolomics to existing studies. Our laboratory received several of these awards that were used to develop new collaborations and train young investigators how to incorporate metabolomics into their research projects. Since these have now been in place for a few years, we are now starting to see the results of more mature studies that evolve from these pilot grants. Informatics strategies, especially those that enable cross-study comparisons, are also underway through these Centers. The NIH has recently re-issued the Common Fund and several new program announcements will soon be released as part of this renewal, including data repositories and informatics centers. Feel free to visit https://commonfund.nih.gov/metabolomics for more details.

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

 NR: Following validation, the results from several of our human studies can be directly translated into clinical tests. A significant portion of our laboratory’s effort focuses on targeted small molecule analysis which lends itself to clinical assays; using metabolomics as a discovery tool makes clinical implementation more straightforward since the same platform is used. 
Since the field is still relatively new, the development and validation of workflows and informatics strategies have potential for application in a number of future studies. We are fortunate in having access to clinical cohorts of sufficient size and with repeated sampling; therefore, our work can help guide others as metabolomics is applied to other cohorts.

LC/MS-based Metabolomics Data Analysis Pipeline

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

NR: A major strength of metabolomics is our ability to provide comprehensive coverage of hundreds to thousands of molecules from various classes, greatly improving biomarker discovery capabilities. Importantly, metabolomics can capture both endogenous and exogenous information. Small molecules provide information on the past, present, and future state of our metabolism; this will be especially evident as more longitudinal clinical studies are performed. Metabolomics is highly complementary to all other ‘omes and mass spectrometry allows for robust and reproducible assays to be developed.

Perhaps one of metabolomics greatest assets is our community, where collaborative, international efforts are driving the field forward.

 MN: What do you see as the greatest barriers for metabolomics? 

NR: I feel that the greatest of all Grand Challenges remains our limitations in compound identification. This results in a large amount of redundant efforts in confidently identifying single biomarkers of interest.

Another major challenge lies in the full utilization and interpretation of our datasets. This is due to a number of factors; for example, the numbers of comparisons being made can result in the failure of individual molecules to pass significance thresholds, especially when multiple testing correction is applied. Genomics strategies have been attempted to some degree in metabolomics, although their application has been relatively limited in clinical metabolomics studies. One possible explanation for this is that standard and widely accepted gene ontologies and pathways are necessarily gene-centric. However, small molecules cannot always be related to a single gene; metabolites often serve multiple functions, and these functions can be difficult to define. Conversely, large numbers of small molecules can also share a single function; for example, in the Human Metabolome Database (HMDB), hundreds of phospholipids are assigned the function “membrane structure and integrity”. This makes it impossible to distinguish between the functional roles of individual phospholipid species, with an inherent risk of treating all species alike. Because proteomics can be thought of as “functional genomics”, genomic informatics strategies often work for protein datasets. Metabolomics, on the other hand, focuses on small molecules whose roles in the cell are often only indirectly related to genes or proteins. The result is that pathway analysis routinely results in matching to a gene-centric pathway where only one molecule out of dozens is a metabolite. In addition, to date, pathway tools do not take the highly diverse chemical nature of small molecules into consideration. 

While progress is being made on both of these issues, we have not yet fully realized potential of our international community to solve them. And while these are currently major challenges, these can also be considered opportunities for metabolomics scientists to develop novel and innovative strategies!
 
MN: What improvements, technological or otherwise, need to take place for metabolomics to really take off? 

NR: As a nascent field, there are many opportunities for cutting edge technologies to greatly improve metabolomics science, including the following:
 MN: How does the future look in terms of funding for metabolomics?

NR:  I’m afraid scientific research may be taking a big hit in the United States, not just in metabolomics but in all areas. It’s a bit of a wait and see right now while our government wrangles over budgets. Assuming the levels of funding for scientific research stay level, my opinion is that metabolomics projects will continue to be funded. Our NIH has already committed a large amount of “Common Fund” dollars to this technology. Results from pilot studies have proven that this is a powerful technology and a great investment. Within the Metabolomics Society, I see a desire to integrate programs on a global scale to make better, more efficient use of funds. So overall, my opinion that is the future of metabolomics is very bright.

MN: What role can metabolomics standards play?

NR: As mentioned above, standardization is critical for metabolomics to continue to move forward. The best technological platform is one that can be reproduced across laboratories. Standardization does not mean that we all have to do things exactly the same. To me it means that my methods are robust and reproducible and of high quality. This is absolutely essential if we are to be able to compare results from studies across time and space.

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

NR: Metabolomics is still a relatively new field. There is a lot to be learned from other fields including, proteomics and genomics. If we wish to make a lasting impact and realize the full potential of metabolomics, we need to be diligent in our methods. And we need to talk as broadly about what didn’t work as what did work for us. There is no need to make a colleague repeat our mistakes. Fortunately, I feel that metabolomics researchers are a highly collaborative bunch!  We are also truly international community, with inter-continental efforts helping to drive the field forward. 

But mostly, I would encourage everyone in the field, both new and established to please do get involved!!  There are a lot of opportunities to participate in solving Grand Challenges, in training and education, and in disseminating information to other fields. The Metabolomics Society and our international affiliates provide a great platform for new ideas to be heard. Check out the website or send along an email if you would like to hear more. 

http://www.ucdenver.edu/academics/colleges/pharmacy/Research/CoreFacilities/Spectrometry/Pages/default.aspx


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
16-21 Jul 2017
2017 UAB Metabolomics Workshop
Venue: Birmingham, Alabama, USA
The 2017 UAB Metabolomics Workshop will be held July 16-21 in Birmingham, Alabama. There will be slots for 40 attendees. We particularly encourage graduate students and postdoctoral and clinical fellows. Those at US universities and institutes may qualify for support from NIH funding. We also encourage applications from all levels of faculty and other research personnel as well as all genders and ethnicities.

The themes in this 5th year of the workshop are:
  1. Design of a metabolomics experiment
  2. Sample stability and extraction methods
  3. Analytical systems (nuclear magnetic resonance and gas- and liquid chromatography-mass spectrometry)
    • Targeted metabolomics
    • Untargeted metabolomics
    • Quantitative metabolomics
  4. Pre-processing of analytical data (Mzmine 2 and XCMSonline, and Chenomx)
  5. Statistical analysis of the data (MetaboAnalyst, Simca, SAS)
  6. Metabolite databases (METLIN, HMDB, LIPIDMAPS, PubChem, ChemSpider)
  7. Identification of metabolites (MetaboSearch, MSMS analysis)
  8. Metabolite pathway analysis (Mummichog, KEGG, GeneGo, Ingenuity)
  9. Integrated –omics (MetabNet, 3Omics)
  10. Advanced elective sessions (Imaging mass spectrometry, isotope ratio outlier analysis, Ion mobility, Command line and R programs)
  11. Electives will allow attendees to fine tune their training experience
Those interested in applying should go to http://www.uab.edu/proteomics/metabolomics/workshop/workshop_july_2017.php. Any questions about the workshop should be directed to sbarnes@uab.edu.
21 Jul 2017
Introduction to Metabolomics for the Clinical Scientist
Venue: Birmingham Metabolomics Training Centre, School of Biosciences, University of Birmingham, Birmingham, UK
This one-day course in partnership with the Phenome Centre Birmingham will provide clinicians with an overview of the metabolomics pipeline, highlighting the benefits of the technique to the medical field. The course will provide an:
  • Introduction to experimental design and sample collection
  • An overview of both the analytical and computational methods applied in the field
  • Case studies and panel discussions with the experts
Bursaries are now available for PhD students funded by the BBSRC, MRC, or NERC.

For further information and registrations details, please visit http://www.birmingham.ac.uk/facilities/metabolomics-training-centre/courses/introduction-metabolomics.aspx or contact bmtc@contacts.bham.ac.uk.
23-24 Aug 2017
Swedish Metabolomics Conference 2017: Metabolomics and Health
Venue: Chalmers University of Technology, Gothenburg, Sweden
Confirmed speakers:
  • David Wishart, University of Alberta
  • Elaine Holmes, Imperial College London
  • Claudio Luchinat, University of Florence
  • Tuulia Hyötyläinen, Örebro University
  • Craig Wheelock, Karolinska Institutet
  • Peter Spégel, Lund University
  • Ali Moazzami, SLU
  • Tove Fall, Uppsala University
  • Henrik Annti, Umeå University
Information and registration: http://www.chalmers.se/en/conference/Swedish-Metabolomics-2017/Pages/default.aspx
11-15 Sep 2017
School on "Cloud-based Metabolomics Data Analysis and Collaboration"
Venue: Building 2 of the Technology Park of Sardinia Pula, Sardinia, Italy
We are happy to announce that registrations are now open; visit http://cloudmet2017.crs4.it/ to register now.

Metabolomics is a well established -omics science whose growth is bringing about new challenges. Systematic studies and integration with other data sources are resulting in ever larger dataset sizes; production applications require superior computational scalability of analysis techniques; complex, multi-step workflows make study reproducibility more challenging.

At the same time, cloud computing technologies are extending their functionality and provide practical solutions for many of these problems.

In this School students will have the opportunity to learn about current topics in metabolomics, with a slant on the integration of cloud computing technologies where they are beneficial to the effectiveness and efficiency of research and analysis work. Top-level lecturers in the field will provide their insight and will be available for the entire duration of the school, with ample opportunity for interaction with the students. Importantly, the School will also include practical sessions where students can put their new knowledge into practice under the guidance of tutors and run analyses using the new PhenoMeNal cloud-based metabolomics platform.

To register and for more information, visit http://cloudmet2017.crs4.it/.
20-23 Sep 2017
MOVISS: Bio and Data
Venue: Vorau, Austria
A problem driven meeting aimed at bioinformaticians, biochemists, statisticians and those who handle and interpret metabolomics data
When: Sept 20-23, 2017
Where: Vorau, Austria
To register and for more information, go to www.MOVISS.eu, and follow us on Twitter @MOVISSmeet
 
Not just an ordinary conference, where people present work they have already done, MOVISS is centered on identifying and problem solving current challenges relating to metabolomics data handling by getting everyone in the room discussing it. Want to be at the forefront of solving some of the major bottlenecks in the Metabolomics Revolution – see you at MOVISS!

A follow up R Summer School will be held on September 25-27, 2017 in Vorau, Austria.
25-27 Sep 2017
Joint OpenMS and MetFrag User Meeting
Venue: Martin-Luther University, Halle, Germany
Speakers include:
  • W. Weckwerth (Uni Vienna)
  • G. Landrum (KNIME)
  • I. Grosse (MLU Halle)
  • Steffen Neumann (IPB Halle)
For more information and registration, please visit http://www.openms.de/um2017/.
12-13 Oct 2017
Quality Assurance and Quality Control in Metabolomics
Venue: Birmingham Metabolomics Training Centre, School of Biosciences, University of Birmingham, Birmingham, UK
This two-day course will provide a comprehensive overview of the application of quality assurance (QA) and quality control (QC) in metabolic phenotyping. The course is aimed at students and researchers who are actively working in the field. Experts who have developed the application of QA and QC procedures within the field will lead the course. It will include both theoretical and practical components to:
  • Introduce QA and QC in metabolic phenotyping
  • The application of QA and QC in untargeted and targeted studies
  • Preparation of QCs and data acquisition
  • Data processing and reporting standards
The course will finish with a question and answer session with a panel of experts.

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/quality-phenotyping.aspx or contact bmtc@contacts.bham.ac.uk.
12-13 Oct 2017
Mayo Clinic Metabolomics Symposium
Venue: Leighton Auditorium, Siebens Building, Mayo Clinic, Rochester, Minnesota, USA
Mayo Clinic will host a Metabolomics Symposium from October 12 to October 13 on the Rochester, Minn., campus. The event will feature presentations on the practice and theory of metabolomics applications, the latest research in metabolomics and networking opportunities. The workshop is open to beginning and established researchers, students and postdoctoral fellows.

A focused workshop is available to a limited group of individuals based on availability.

Scholarships for scholars and junior faculty are available.

For more information, please visit http://matrix.conferenceataclick.com/metabolomics_2017/home_live1.htm.
18-20 Oct  2017
Workshop in Environmental Omics, Integration and Modelling
Venue: CosmoCaixa, Barcelona, Spain
The aim of this workshop is to review the state-of-the-art and broaden the knowledge on high-throughput analytical methods, data integration and modelling in Environmental Omics and Toxicology.

The main workshop topics will be the following:
  • Transcriptomic and Genomic studies
  • Metabolomic and Lipidomic studies
  • Development of Chemometrics and Analytical Tools
  • Data Integration and Modelling
We are pleased to invite you to participate in this workshop that will promote knowledge exchange and creation of new relationships and future collaborations.

For more information, please visit http://wenvomics2017.info/.
6-8 Nov 2017
Metabolomics with the Q Exactive
Venue: Birmingham Metabolomics Training Centre, School of Biosciences, University of Birmingham, Birmingham, UK
This three-day course will introduce you to using the Q Exactive mass spectrometer in your metabolomics investigations. The course is aimed at students and researchers with minimal previous experience of applying LC-MS in metabolomics. The course will be led by experts in the field and include lectures, laboratory sessions and computer workshops to provide:
  • An introduction to metabolomics and using the Q Exactive mass spectrometer in your studies
  • Polar and non-polar sample preparation for profiling and targeted studies
  • Data acquisition for profiling and targeted studies
  • Data processing and data analysis
  • Introduction to metabolite identification
The course will finish with a question and answer session with a panel of experts.

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/q-exactive.aspx or contact bmtc@contacts.bham.ac.uk.
1 Dec 2017
Introduction to Metabolomics for the Clinical Scientist
Venue: Birmingham Metabolomics Training Centre, School of Biosciences, University of Birmingham, Birmingham, UK
This one-day course in partnership with the Phenome Centre Birmingham will provide clinicians with an overview of the metabolomics pipeline, highlighting the benefits of the technique to the medical field. The course will provide an:
  • Introduction to experimental design and sample collection
  • An overview of both the analytical and computational methods applied in the field
  • Case studies and panel discussions with the experts
Bursaries are now available for PhD students funded by the BBSRC, MRC, or NERC.

For further information and registrations details, please visit http://www.birmingham.ac.uk/facilities/metabolomics-training-centre/courses/introduction-metabolomics.aspx or contact bmtc@contacts.bham.ac.uk.
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/.
14-15 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.

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
Postdoctoral Researcher in the functional metabolomics of lipid mediators in inflammation Karolinska Institutet Solna, Sweden 6-Jul-2017 31-Jul-2017 Naturejobs
Postdoc Position in Computational Metabolomics  Friedrich Schiller University Jena Jena, Germany 4-Jul-2017 Until filled Friedrich Schiller University Jena
Postdoctoral Fellow / Research Associate in the field of (Bioinformatics / Metabolomics) McGill University Montreal, Canada 25-Jun-2017 1-Oct-2017 McGill University
Early Stage Researcher (ESR/PhD)
 Biocrates Life Sciences AG Innsbruck, Austria
 13-Jun-2017
Biocrates Life Sciences AG
Analytical Scientist (PhD or Master) for Mass Spectrometry based Metabolomics
 Biocrates Life Sciences AG Innsbruck, Austria 13-Jun-2017
Biocrates Life Sciences AG


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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