MetaboNews Masthead
Published in partnership between
TMIC and the Metabolomics Society
Issue 54 - February 2016

CONTENTS:


Online version of this newsletter:
 http://www.metabonews.ca/Feb2016/MetaboNews_Feb2016.htm
TMIC Services
TMIC Services

Welcome to the fifty-fourth 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 Database Spotlight article on ECMDB, the Escherichia coli Metabolome Database, and a metabolomics interview with Cristina Legido-Quigley of King’s College London.
This issue of MetaboNews is supported by:

Metanomics Health
    
Chenomx -- Metabolite Discovery & Measurement    
mzCloud
Metanomics Health GmbH
Chenomx Inc.
mzCloud

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Metabolomics Society Logo

Metabolomics Society News

CONFERENCE CORNER

2016 Metabolomics Society Conference, Dublin
Location: Dublin, Ireland
June 27 – June 30, 2016
Registration is now open for the Metabolomics Society’s Annual Meeting in 2016 in Dublin. Register now to receive early-bird prices.
Accommodation at the conference hotels may also be reserved through the conference website. June is a popular time in Dublin, so book now to secure your room at the best rate.
Abstract submission will open soon. For detailed information about the venue, program, plenary speakers and social events, see www.metabolomics2016.org.

Please make your room reservations through the conference website as soon as possible so that we can avoid difficulties with keeping rooms for the conference.

Conference Confusion
Dear Metabolomics Society Members,
Metabolomics Society Logo     WE hate to sound like a broken record, but there are several metabolomics-themed meetings being planned for 2016, so we hope that you will be able to identify the Official Metabolomics Society annual meeting which is in Dublin (June 27 – June 30, 2016).
     In case there is any confusion about the origin of a conference or meeting, official Metabolomics Society meetings ALWAYS will have links to the Metabolomics Society web page, display the Society logo, and be clearly branded from the Society and A-S-K Associates; no other companies promote our meetings. We are concerned because some of the companies that are putting on these meetings seem to be deliberately causing branding confusion, and we have heard from members who have been extremely dissatisfied with these other meetings. If you have questions or concerns about any meeting, please contact us.

Call for Expressions of Interest (EOI) to Chair the 2018 Metabolomics Conference
The Metabolomics Society is calling for interested members in the American region (North, Central or South America) to express their interest in hosting the 2018 annual Metabolomics Society meeting (http://metabolomics2018.org/).

Please send notice of your interest using the EOI form by 1st March 2016. 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 Board, assist A-S-K staff* and the Board in selection of a suitable venue, and organize the conference. The tasks of the LOC are to ensure regional and national support for the conference, to assist the Society in administrative planning, and most importantly, to chair and manage the scientific aspects of the conference. The LOC is also responsible for selecting, and administering, an International Organizing Committee, which in turn is responsible for determining the scientific content of the meeting. Please complete the application form outlining your ideas to maximize the scientific quality and outreach of the conference. For further enquires please contact the Society via A-S-K Associates (metabolomics@askusa.com).
*A-S-K Associates is the Society’s administrative firm.

Support for local conferences
The Society continues to support national and regional conferences conducted by our affiliated organisations, and provides support for smaller meetings hosted by Society members.
In 2016 the Metabolomics Society will support:
    - ANZMET conference, Melbourne, Australia: March 30th – April 1st 2016.  http://www.anzmet.org
    - Microscale Separations and Bioanalysis, Niagara-on-the-Lake, Canada: April 3-7, 2016.  http://www.msb2016.org/

For more information about support for local meetings see (http://metabolomicssociety.org/events/event-funding).


MEMBERS CORNER

 Early-career Members Network (EMN)
The EMN is dedicated to and run by early-career scientists who are members of the Metabolomics Society and are from academia, government, or industry. The network aims to provide a forum for metabolomics researchers at the start of their professional career.

EMN Workshops at the 12th Annual International Conference
The EMN will host two workshop sessions tailored for the needs of the early-career members. Both sessions are taking shape nicely and we aim to have a full program ready soon, so stay tuned for more information on both workshops.

Please feel free to contact us via info.emn@metabolomicssociety.org if you have any suggestions or comments regarding our planned activities this year (i.e., online webinars and workshops). If you think you have a great idea for a new activity we should organise then please do share with us; the EMN can only be a success with your support and ideas!!

Membership News for 2016
Exclusive Members-only Metabolomics Society Video Content Is Now Available!
The Society is pleased to announce a new service for members of the Metabolomics Society. Exciting video content is available immediately, for members only! The most recent addition is the plenary lectures from Metabolomics 2015 in San Francisco. So, if you missed the meeting in San Francisco, make sure your membership is paid up and you can access the videos. Please follow the link.

For those of you who have not yet renewed your membership of the Metabolomics Society for 2016, the early bird discount has now ended. However, renewing your membership still allows you to claim a special members only price at Metabolomics 2016 in Dublin as well as a host of other membership benefits which are listed here. To join the society or to renew your membership, visit here. For any questions regarding membership, please contact us at membership@metabolomicssociety.org.
TASK GROUPS CORNER

Industry Engagement Task Group
The second issue of the IETG newsletter has been sent to our commercial partners, so if you did not receive a copy, please contact Sherie Howell at showell@askusa.com. Sponsorship opportunities for the 2016 Metabolomics Society conference are still available, so please contact Sherie for the latest news.

We are also looking for individuals who would like to join the IETG as a commercial/industrial representative, so if you are engaged in metabolomics and would like to have your voice heard on the IETG, please contact the Chair of the IETG, Dan Bearden. Please visit our information portal.

Metabolite Identification Task Group
The Metabolite Identification task group is supporting a scientific session on metabolite identification at the Dublin 2016 conference. We are requesting all researchers in this area to submit high quality abstracts for oral presentations. We look forward to reading your exciting research.
INTERNATIONAL AFFILIATES CORNER

Australian & New Zealand Metabolomics Network (ANZMN)
Visit http://www.anzmn.org
The ANZMN would like to draw your attention to a possible chance to get some lecturing experience for those postdocs and early career researchers keen on an academic career. Charles Sturt University in Wagga Wagga (pronounced Wogga, Wogga - or often just Wogga) in New South Wales have a ten-month maternity leave replacement within the Chemistry discipline. The appointee will coordinate and/or teach in a range of subjects, including first year Chemistry, second year Analytical Chemistry and Scientific Communication. Whilst it is largely teaching based they are hoping to attract someone with a research track record in separation science (which metabolomics people usually have) so that they could also contribute/participate in research. They have quite a few high-end mass specs such as LC-qTOF, GC-qTOF, GC-QQQMS, LC-QQQMS, so it would be a good opportunity for the right person to access this equipment. If you want to read more please see https://www.dropbox.com/s/te40fa5md4k8c1v/Charles-Sturt-University_Associate-Lecturer_Lecturer-Chemistry.pdf?dl=0 for the details. Interested parties can e-mail Dr Danielle Ryan on dryan@csu.edu.au if they have any questions.

Réseau Français de Métabolomique et Fluxomique (RFMF)
Visit http://www.rfmf.fr/

RFMF is pleased to announce the 10th conference of the Francophone Metabolomics and Fluxomics Society (RFMF), to be held in Montpellier between the 30th of May and the 2nd of June 2016.
Every year since 2005, this conference gathers scientists who are interested in metabolomics and fluxomics, and more generally in the study of metabolism.
This year, the main scientific themes are:
 This conference is also a good opportunity to get updated about the recent evolutions in analytical methods/hardware and bioinformatics tools in metabolomics and fluxomics.
The meeting will include:
 The registration and submission interfaces will open on February 1st 2016. The deadline for abstracts to be considered for oral presentations is April 1st 2016. More information can be obtained on the website of the RFMF conference: http://10-js-rfmf.sciencesconf.org/

We look forward to welcoming you in Montpellier for this new edition of the RFMF conference.

Best regards,
The RFMF executive board and the organizing committee of the 10th RFMF conference

Local Organizing Committee
Frédérique Courant, Elena Gomez, Helene Fenet, and Benilde Bonnefille (UMR Hydrosciences), Christelle Reynes (Institut de Génomique Fonctionnelle), Emilie Farcy (UMR Marbec), Jean-Charles Martin (UMR NORT, plateformes BiomeT, and CRIBIOM), Laetitia Shintu (Institut des sciences moléculaires de Marseille), Raphael Lugan and Véronique Vidal (UMR Qualisud and Cédric Bertrand CRIOBE USR 3278)

Local Scientific Committee
Claire Vigor (IBMM), Eric Rivals (LIRMM), Sophie Lebre (IMAG), Catherine Defoort and Gaelle Favé (UMR NORT, plateformes BiomeT, and CRIBIOM), Mehdi Yemloul (iSm2), Valérie Tomao  (SQPOV), and Isabelle Bonnard (CRIOBE USR 3278)

And at the National Level by
Catherine Deborde (UBF&PMB-MetaboHUB Bordeaux) and Marie-Lou Lombard (SFR BIE Bordeaux) who strongly and continuously bring their valuable help and advice.

And by the Executive Board of the RFMF
Floriant Bellvert (Plateforme MetaToul-MetaboHUB), Julien Boccard (Ecole de Pharmacie Genève-Lausanne), Alain Bouchereau (IGEP), Frédérique Courant (UMR Hydrosciences), Pascal de Tullio (CIRM), Patrick Giraudeau (CEISAM), Yann Guitton (Laboratoire d’Etude des Résidus et Contaminants dans les Aliments), Anne-Emmanuelle Hay (UMR Ecologie Microbienne 5557, CESN), Fabien Jourdan (UMR Toxalim, MetaboHUB) Jean-Charles Martin (UMR NORT, plateformes BiomeT, and CRIBIOM), and Etienne Thevenot (CEA LIST, MetaboHUB).


 
 Software Spotlight

Database Spotlight

 ECMDB Banner

ECMDB: The Escherichia Coli Metabolome Database

Feature article contributed by Tanvir Sajed and Ana Marcu, Bioinformaticians, The Metabolomics Innovation Centre, Edmonton, Alberta, Canada
ECMDB is a comprehensively curated OMICS database describing Escherichia coli biochemistry and metabolism, available at http://ecmdb.ca. It encompasses different kinds of biochemical information for E. coli, including annotation of metabolites, proteins, reactions, and pathways. The website provides some essential E. coli cell statistics, such as length of cell and concentrations of various compounds in the cell. The server is built with Ruby on Rails, using the latest MVC software engineering standards. The design follows a recognized structure and organized documentation, thereby allowing developers to understand and change code easily for maintenance or further development. Elasticsearch, a cutting-edge search technology, is used for all search engines including pathway search, metabolite search and reaction search. It also implements Redis-based caching, allowing pages to be saved and loaded rapidly when a user goes to a previously visited page. The data is being retrieved from the ECMDB internal database and is also connected to a centralized database system that acts as storage for computationally-mined biochemical annotations. ECMDB metabolite annotations are downloadable as JSON and SDF formats from the downloads section on the website. Protein sequences are downloadable in FASTA format. At present, the database holds 3760 metabolites, and 2133 enzymes and transporters (Figure 1).

Snapshot of the Metabolite Browse page

Figure 1. A snapshot of the Metabolite Browse page, which lists metabolites in ECMDB along with links to pathways and structures.

Metabolites can be searched using the Elasticsearch engine by names and IDs. Once a metabolite is selected, detailed annotations are shown (Figure 2). Structure details are represented as InChI, SDF, SMILES, etc. A structure search may also be performed by providing or directly drawing a structure in the MarvinSketch viewer (Figure 3). The list of enzymes a metabolite interacts with and the reactions or pathways in which it is involved are also given as part of the search results. An attempt was made to provide the most comprehensive pathways of E. coli made by any database. Currently it holds a total of 1673 pathways, including signaling and operon pathways. The extent of pathways in ECMDB goes beyond KEGG and EcoCyc.

Detailed annotation of ECMDB00005 (2-Ketobutyric acid)

Figure 2. Detailed annotation of ECMDB00005 (2-Ketobutyric acid) showing creation date, update date, secondary accession numbers, description, a structure viewable as molfile, SDF, PDB, SMILES, or 3D, and synonyms. The tab at the top of the page provides shortcut jump bars to specific sections such as ‘Taxonomy’, ‘Spectra’, and ‘Links’. The Search bar is also visible on the top right corner. Searches can be done on the basis of names, synonyms, or ECMDB identifiers.

Snapshot shows a chemical structure search with the structure of 2-Ketobutyric acid

Figure 3. The snapshot shows a chemical structure search with the structure of 2-Ketobutyric acid. The tool matches the structure against all the structures in ECMDB and gives possible matches sorted by similarity. The user can choose similarity, substructure, or exact matches from the software, or use a molecular weight filter.

ECMDB presently also includes about 2133 annotated E. coli proteins that are also externally linked to UniProt and Kegg. These proteins are integrated with reactions along with metabolites, to form 5067 listed reactions. An additional 3079 reactions are imported directly from SMPDB. Reactions are integrated in pathways which cover most of the known E. coli metabolism.

Pathways were researched and created using the PathWhiz tool, a platform integrated with SMPDB (Figure 4). Pathways include not only metabolic reactions, but also transport reactions (across inner/outer membranes) and reactions that contain protein compound interactions. These pathways are stored in SMPDB and synced to ECMDB, allowing a user to view the pathways in ECMDB directly, or in the PathWhiz editor by the given link. PathWhiz is a drawing tool that supports complex diagrams and pathway annotation, while at the same time providing a very user-friendly interface either for experimenting with pathway reactions or creating complex diagrams for academic use. High resolution pictures as JPG or vector images of pathways are downloadable (Figure 5). Users can also sign up for this software and create their own pathways.

The main goal of ECMDB 2.0 was to collect a comprehensive set of pathways with reactions from sources such as KEGG and EcoCyc, along with additional data in published literature, and easily integrate these pathways with metabolite information for E. coli. About 90% of metabolites are currently linked to at least one metabolic pathway. ECMDB is a very useful tool for metabolic researchers who wish to enhance their knowledge of E. coli metabolism, or gather preliminary information for their own studies.

Snapshot of the PathWhiz tool

Figure 4. A snapshot of the PathWhiz tool. It was used to create most of the pathways linked in ECMDB. This pathway explains glutathione metabolism in E. coli with a detailed description and references. Users can make the image larger, highlight particular compounds, proteins or reactions, and click on sections for more detail (http://smpdb.ca/pathwhiz).

PNG image of glutathione metabolism in E. coli

Figure 5. A PNG image of glutathione metabolism in E. coli, downloaded from the PathWhiz tool.

Please let the ECMDB authors know what you would like to see in future versions of ECMDB. Your feedback and suggestions are very helpful and help to improve ECMDB's overall quality and usefulness. Please email your feedback and suggestions to the ECMDB authors.

The ECMDB project is supported by:

Citing ECMDB

ECMDB is offered to the public as a freely available resource. Use and redistribution of the data, in whole or in part, for commercial purposes requires explicit permission of the authors and explicit acknowledgment of the source material (ECMDB) and the original publication (see below). The ECMDB authors ask that users who download significant portions of the database cite the ECMDB paper in any resulting publications.


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 Cristina Legido-Quigley.
Cristina Legido-Quigley

 Associate Professor, Institute of Pharmaceutical Science, King's College London, UK
Cristina Legido-Quigley
Biography

Cristina Legido-Quigley is an Associate Professor in King’s College London in the Institute of Pharmaceutical Science, Life Sciences and Medicine. She is a group leader in clinical biomarkers and a lecturer of analytical chemistry. She studied chemistry as a mature student at King's College London, she trained in Smith Kline Beecham on turbulent flow HPLC, and then did an MSci using single-crystal X-ray diffraction. In 2004, she received a PhD by working on micro LC-MS at GSK and Imperial College London. At the University of Pavia, she was a Fellow studying molecule interactions. After this, she joined as a Postdoctoral Research Associate in Imperial College in the Department of Medicine. She moved back to King’s College London in 2006 to pursue her interest in finding clinical biomarkers of brain and liver diseases, toxicity and healthy aging.

Twitter: @MetabolomicsHub

Metabolomics Interview (MN, MetaboNews; CLQ, Cristina Legido-Quigley)

 MN: How did you get involved in metabolomics?

CLQ: I was doing a postdoc on molecule interactions and since it was theoretical I got bored of it; as I did my PhD in Imperial, I had heard of Jeremy Nicholson and knew he was mixing analytical chemistry with medical applications and so I really wanted to work on his team. (Several e-mails and an interview later…) He had many positions available and I applied to one headed by Elaine Holmes. The first UPLC-MS beta version arrived in the lab, so together with my friend Cinzia Stella, another postdoc at the time, we started fingerprinting non-stop.

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

CLQ: As an analytical chemist, I get excited about new methodology; so my group has done sample prep, paper spots, CSF, and brain metabolomics (Whiley et al. 2012, Sen et al. 2013, Eshbiana et al. 2015). In data treatment, I like learning about new methods and design workflows together with Petra Proitsi, a brilliant bioinformatician (Proitsi et al. 2014). I find it very exciting collaborating within other disciplines, especially in the medical field where there is still so much to discover (Whiley et al. 2013, Dailey et al. 2014, and Xu et al. 2015).
MN: What key metabolomics initiatives are you pursuing at your research centre or institute?

 CLQ: We are working on quite a few projects, the best-resourced are in the dementia field. The EMIF-AD has 1,000 samples that are stratified by amyloid-Beta and Tau in CSF, a unique cohort that we are working on right now. Also, we collaborate with the National Phenome Center (NPC) in a study of Alzheimer’s conversion and we have been working with NIA BLSA for a few years, another super cohort with research volunteers that started in the 1950s.

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

CLQ: A lot. There are new facilities starting and centers scattered everywhere in the UK. Imperial have been leaders in the field for ages and they are expanding their NPC design nationally and internationally. Others are approaching “mega” metabolomics; in Cambridge, 10,000 volunteers were phenotyped for a Mendelian Randomization study of diabetes. In London, we started a network this year, the LMN; it has over 150 members and the interest has been phenomenal.

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

 CLQ: Results we get in EMIF-AD will be applied in another EU consortium called EPAD; these are planned clinical trials for Alzheimer’s disease with EFPIA funding in place. Every project we work on has its niche and I am hoping that all of our results will be useful. For example, we are helping bring Chinese Herbal medicines into the market and new tests for doping, tissue quality, toxicity, etc.

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

CLQ: The possibilities are infinite.

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

 CLQ: Metabolomics has a long way to go, what we phenotype and identify at present, taking into account the number of metabolites and their compartmentalization, is probably not even 0.1% of the metabolic information in a human.

 MN: What improvements, technological or otherwise, need to take place for metabolomics to really take off?

CLQ: There has to be better and cheaper analytical equipment. I opted to do slow metabolomics and give a sample as much as 5 hours of mass spec time, combining lipidomics, HILIC, and GC-MS. I know it is crazy but I want to extract as much accurate information as possible and think it will pay off. To improve the information I get, I would need more separation efficiency, less carry over, a combination of fragmentation modes, etc. I think in vivo imaging combined with metabolomics is the future!

 MN: How does the future look in terms of funding for metabolomics?

CLQ: It looks very good for discovery, especially in the USA as metabolomics is key to their precision medicine initiative.

 MN: What role can metabolomics standards play?

 CLQ: I am not a fan of standardizing; I see the point, especially to improve the problem of specificity and teach metabolomics, but in our lab we do research, and standards come with constraints.

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

CLQ: I see metabolomics as a science, which involves knowledge of analytical chemistry, stats, bioinformatics, and its application in fields such as clinical, environmental, etc. It is very complex. Some people see it as just a method… that is simplistic.

References
 
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
11-12 Feb 2016

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 comprehensive theoretical and hands-on approach to teach the latest techniques and tools available to perform metabolite identification applying mass spectrometry in non-targeted metabolomics studies. The course is targeted towards students and researchers who are actively applying metabolomics and want to fully understand the mass spectrometry tools and software applied for metabolite identification.

The course will be taught by experts in the fields of metabolomics and chemical analysis and will include significant hands-on experience using both the Q Exactive and LTQ-Orbitrap mass spectrometers and related software/databases/libraries. The course will focus on:
  • Conversion of raw data to molecular formula and associated difficulties
  • Data Dependent Acquisition (DDA) and Data Independent Acquisition (DIA)
  • MS/MS and MSn data acquisition to construct spectral trees
  • Current software, databases, and libraries applied in metabolite identification
The course will finish with a session on the tips and tricks from the experts and an opportunity to ask questions.

For further information and registration details, please visit http://www.birmingham.ac.uk/facilities/metabolomics-training-centre/courses/metabolite-identification.aspx or contact Dr Cate Winder (C.L.Winder@bham.ac.uk).
14-19 Feb 2016

EMBO Practical Course on Metabolomics Bioinformatics for Life Scientists
Venue: European Bioinformatics Institute, CB10 1SD, United Kingdom (Google Maps)

This course will provide an overview of key issues that affect metabolomics studies, handling dataset 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.

We will have lively and interactive discussion throughout the course in addition to the hands-on data analysis and processing. We encourage you to bring your data, problems you might have with a particular data set or study for group discussion.  You will be asked to present your work and participate in the discussions from day one.

Who is this course aimed at: This course is aimed at PhD students, post-docs and researchers with at least two or three year’s experience in the field of metabolomics who are seeking to improve their skills in metabolomics data analysis.

Topics covered:
  • Metabolomics study design, workflows and sources of experimental error, difference between target and un-target approaches.
  • Metabolomics data processing tools: hands on open source R based programs, XCMS, MetFrag, MetFusion, rNMR, BATMAN
  • Metabolomics data analysis: Using R Bioconductor, understanding usage of univariate and multivariate data analysis, data fusion concepts and data clustering
  • Metabolomics downstream analyses: KEGG, BioCyc, MetExplore and Cytoscape for metabolic pathway and network analysis with visualisation of differential expression, understanding metabolomics flux analysis.
  • Metabolomics standards and databases: data dissemination and deposition in EMBL-EBI MetaboLights repository, collection and ever growing metabolomics online resource, COSMOS data standards, MSI
For further details, visit http://www.ebi.ac.uk/training/course/embo-practical-course-metabolomics-bioinformatics-life-scientists-0.
23-24 Feb 2016

Quality Assurance and Quality Control in Metabolic Phenotyping
Venue: Birmingham Metabolomics Training Centre, School of Biosciences, University of Birmingham, Birmingham, UK

This two-day course will provide a comprehensive theoretical overview of the application of quality assurance (QA) and quality control (QC) in metabolic phenotyping and hands-on training in the analytical laboratory and bioinformatics laboratory. The course is aimed at students and researchers who are actively working in the field and want to learn how to apply the important processes of quality assurance and quality control in their research. Experts who have developed the application of QA and QC procedures within the metabolomics field will lead the course. It will include both theoretical and practical components focused on:
  • Theoretical aspects of QA and QC in metabolic phenotyping
  • The application of QA and QC in untargeted and targeted studies
  • Preparation of QC samples and appropriate data acquisition
  • Data processing and QA/QC reporting
The course will finish with a question and answer session with a panel of experts.

For further information and registration details, please visit http://www.birmingham.ac.uk/facilities/metabolomics-training-centre/courses/quality-phenotyping.aspx or contact Dr Cate Winder (C.L.Winder@bham.ac.uk).
23-26 Feb 2016

Data Analysis for Metabolic Phenotyping
Venue: Imperial College London, South Kensington, London, UK

This 3.5-day course aims to provide an overview of data analysis for metabolic phenotyping studies, using data acquired from both liquid chromatography - mass spectrometry and NMR spectroscopy.

It combines lectures and tutorial sessions to ensure a thorough understanding of the theory and practical applications.

  • Pre-processing of data acquired via LC-MS and NMR
  • Basic chemometrics and unsupervised analysis including PCA
  • Supervised analysis and advanced chemometrics - OPLS and O2PLS
  • Pathway analysis and statistical spectroscopy

The course does not assume any experience of coding or statistical analysis.

Please visit our website or contact Dr Tim Ebbels (iptc@imperial.ac.uk) for further information.
21-23 Mar 2016

Clinical & Pharmaceutical Solutions through Analysis
Venue: The UF Clinical & Translational Science Institute, Gainesville, Florida, USA

Make plans to attend the 2nd Annual Metabolomics Symposium on Clinical & Pharmaceutical Solutions through Analysis (CPSA Metabolomics 2016). This unique event is highly interactive and dedicated to the needs of the clinic. The program features updated perspectives and experiences on clinical and pharmaceutical analysis. Imagination and stimulating discussion are central to each CPSA Metabolomics session and event.

Goal
The goal of CPSA Metabolomics is to provide in-depth review of innovative technology and industry practices through open discussion of industry-related issues and needs. This annual event is specifically geared to the needs of professionals attempting to keep pace with faster development times and technology marketing managers attempting to benchmark emerging trends.

Program
The CPSA Metabolomics symposia and roundtables are highly interactive events where scientists share their experiences and visions in a collegial setting. The program will highlight speakers and sessions that provide real-world experiences with new technologies and critical insights into current issues and future needs. Education and specialized training are the foundation of all CPSA events.

Each session at CPSA Metabolomics will address the current industrial landscape and the global need to bring products to market faster. The program chairs will promote discussion and exchange of experiences, ideas, and visions so that current processes that involve analytical measurement can be benchmarked and future strategies may be developed.

For more information, visit http://www.cpsa-metabolomics.com/2016/index.shtml
30 Mar to 1 Apr 2016

The Australian & New Zealand Metabolomics Conference (ANZMET 2016)
Venue: La Trobe Institute for Molecular Science, Melbourne, Victoria, Australia

The inaugural ANZMET conference is an exciting, peer-driven event! It is designed to foster an all-inclusive, engaging and rich interpersonal process through a blend of traditional presentations, rapid-fire postgraduate presentations, poster sessions, a roundtable discussion, and topical peer sessions.

Its aim is to promote collaboration, innovation, and community-building in metabolomics across private and government sectors by open engagement of all researchers and institutions throughout Australia and New Zealand. The conference is actively supported by the Australia & New Zealand Metabolomics Network (ANZMN), in conjunction with the Metabolomics Society and Metabolomics Australia. Several keynote speakers will present at the conference, including Professor David Wishart amongst others.
For further details, visit http://www.anzmet.org/.
3-7 Apr 2016

Microscale Separations and Bioanalysis: MSB 2016
Venue: Queen’s Landing, Niagara-on-the-Lake, ON, Canada

We invite you to join us for the 32nd International Symposium on Microscale Separations and Bioanalysis (MSB 2016), which is the premier forum for the discussion of cutting-edge research on the frontiers of separation science relevant to human health and the environment. If you are currently incorporating microscale separations like capillary electrophoresis, nano-LC, multidimensional separations, ion mobility spectrometry, microfluidics and lab-on-a-chip devices into your research, then this is a meeting you will not want to miss!

To ensure a stimulating yet intimate environment for discussions, MSB 2016 will be limited to 275 delegates so we encourage you submit an abstract before the Jan. 15, 2016 deadline for late breaking submissions. We invite you to browse our conference website (www.msb2016.org) to learn more about our exciting scientific program.
4-6 Apr 2016

Metabolomics with the Q Exactive
Venue: Birmingham Metabolomics Training Centre, School of Biosciences, University of Birmingham, Birmingham, UK

This three-day hands-on 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 liquid chromatography-mass spectrometry (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, LC-MS and using the Q Exactive mass spectrometer in your studies
  • Sample preparation for analysis of polar and lipid metabolites in metabolic profiling and targeted studies
  • Instrument methods and 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.

For further information and registration details, please visit http://www.birmingham.ac.uk/facilities/metabolomics-training-centre/courses/q-exactive.aspx or contact Dr Cate Winder (C.L.Winder@bham.ac.uk).
17-19 Apr 2016

4th Workshop on Holistic Analytical Methods for Systems Biology Studies
Venue: Aristotle University, Thessaloniki, Greece

This is the fourth in a series of successful meetings that started in Thessaloniki in 2008 and then moved to Athens and Patras.

We expect again high level presentations and an open, friendly atmosphere. We plan tutorial sessions on protocols, tips and tricks, live demonstration of software, and training session for small number of young participants with hands on PC.

The first day is devoted to fundamentals/methods/protocols, the second day to health/life sciences and the last day to food/plant/nutrition.

Topics:
  • Analytical Technologies for Metabolite Profiling: LC-MS, GC-MS, NMR
  • Informatics, Chemometrics, Validation
  • Biomarker Discovery: Disease, Drug Efficacy, Embryo Growth, Ageing, Physical Exercise
  • Food authenticity/geographical origin, Nutrition
  • Investigation of gut microbiota host-guest symbiosis
Information: info.metabolomics@gmail.com
Looking forward to seeing you in the historic port city of Thessaloniki.

For more information, visit http://bioanalysis.web.auth.gr/metabolomics.
18 Apr to 26 May 2016

Copenhagen School of Chemometrics - 2016 (CSC-2016)
Venue: Copenhagen, Denmark

  • CSC-2016 is FREE of charge for students at any level.
  • PhD students can obtain a maximum of 12 ECTS.
  • We will count with highly recognized chemometricians as lecturers/teachers: Frans van den Berg, Riccardo Leardi, Thomas Skov, Tormod Næs, Rasmus Bro, Age Smilde, Åsmund Rinnan, Evrim Acar, Federico Marini and Jose M. Amigo.
  • Bonus track: There is the possibility to attend the “Introduction to Matlab for Multivariate Data Analysis” PhD course (see flyer for more information).
The maximum number of participants will be 20 participants per seminar. Therefore, it's strongly recommend to contact Jose Amigo (jmar@food.ku.dk) as soon as possible for keeping your seat!

How to enroll in the CSC-2016? Please, send an e-mail to Jose Amigo (jmar@food.ku.dk) with the information requested in this flyer.
20-22 Apr 2016

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 three-day course will provide a comprehensive overview of dealing with complex biological samples for liquid chromatography-mass spectrometry (LC-MS) analysis. The course is targeted towards students and researchers who are actively applying metabolomics in their research and want to learn more about robust sample preparation and data acquisition. The course will be led by experts in the field and  will include:
  • An overview of sampling, 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 and liquid-liquid extraction
  • An overview of data analysis and metabolite identification
  • An opportunity to ask questions and seek advice to prepare samples in your own research.
For further information and registration details, please visit http://www.birmingham.ac.uk/facilities/metabolomics-training-centre/courses/sample-analysis.aspx or contact Dr Cate Winder (C.L.Winder@bham.ac.uk).
30 May-2 Jun 2016

10th conference of the Francophone Metabolomics and Fluxomics Society (RFMF)
Venue: Montpellier, France

RFMF is pleased to announce the 10th conference of the Francophone Metabolomics and Fluxomics Society (RFMF), to be held in Montpellier between the 30th of May and the 2nd of June 2016. Every year since 2005, this conference gathers scientists who are interested in metabolomics and fluxomics, and more generally in the study of metabolism. This year, the main scientific themes are:
  • Ecotoxicology, environmental metabolomics and microbiology
  • Health: clinical applications, therapeutic monitoring, biomarker determination
  • Agricultural resources and food science
This conference is also a good opportunity to hear about recent developments in analytical methods/hardware and bioinformatics tools in metabolomics and fluxomics. The meeting will include:
  • Plenary lectures by renowned international invited speakers:
    • Prof. Arthur Edison (University of Georgia, USA)
    • Prof. Elizabeth Hill (University of Sussex, UK)
    • Dr. Kris Moreel (University of Gent, Belgium)
    • Dr. Patrick Kiefer (ETH Zurich, Switzerland)
  • Oral presentations
  • Flash communications associated with poster sessions
  • Thematic workshops and round-tables
The registration and submission interfaces will open on February 1st 2016. The deadline for abstracts to be considered for oral presentations is April 1st 2016. More information can be obtained on the website of the RFMF conference: http://10-js-rfmf.sciencesconf.org/
27-30 Jun 2016

Metabolomics 2016
Venue: Convention Centre, Dublin, Ireland

The 12th Annual International Conference of the Metabolomics Society will be held in Dublin from June 27-30, 2016. The conference venue is the Convention Centre Dublin, located conveniently in the city centre with easy access to the airport. In the historic, compact city centre there is lots to do and see, and visitors will love the rich selection of galleries, museums, restaurants, pubs and shops, not to mention the traditionally warm welcome from Dubliners.

The conference programme will cover all aspects of metabolomics under five broad themes: Metabolomics in Nutrition and Food Research, Metabolomics in Health and Disease, Advancing the Field, Environmental, Plant and Model Organisms.

For further details, visit http://metabolomics2016.org.

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
Experimental Officer in NMR Computational Metabolomics,
Phenome Centre
 University of Birmingham Birmingham, UK 27-Jan-2016
 25-Feb-2016 Metabolomics Society Jobs
NMR Metabolomics Technician,
Phenome Centre
 University of Birmingham Birmingham, UK 27-Jan-2016 25-Feb-2016 Metabolomics Society Jobs
Postdoctoral Opportunity,
Section of Nutrition and Metabolism /
Biomarkers Group
 International Agency for
Research on Cancer 		Lyon, France
 21-Jan-2016 15-Feb-2016 International Agency for
Research on Cancer
Assistant Professor - Metabolomics
 Auburn University Auburn, AL, USA
 12-Jan-2016 Until filled Auburn University
Senior Fellow (Postdoctoral) Position
 University of Washington Seattle, WA, USA
 11-Dec-2015
 Until filled Metabolomics Society Jobs


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.
  • There are currently no positions being advertised.

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