About the course | Intended audience | Prerequisites | Content details
About the course
Metabolomics aims to identify and quantify the complete biochemical composition of a biological sample. As genomic, transcriptomic, and proteomic datasets continue to expand, there is an increasing need to understand the metabolic phenotypes that genes and proteins ultimately influence.
This course provides an introductory overview of metabolomics and its applications in life sciences and environmental research. Participants will be introduced to different techniques used to extract metabolites and analyse samples to generate metabolomics data, including high-performance liquid chromatography (HPLC), gas chromatography-mass spectrometry (GC-MS), and nuclear magnetic resonance (NMR) spectroscopy.
The course also covers approaches for analysing metabolomics datasets, identifying metabolites using online databases, and relating metabolomic measurements to metabolic pathways.
By the end of the course, participants should have a broad understanding of metabolomics technologies and be able to analyse and interpret metabolomics data in a biological context.
Teaching is primarily hands-on, with short presentations and demonstrations introducing the concepts and methods used in metabolomics studies.
Back to top Intended audience
This course is suitable for:
- researchers interested in metabolomics and its applications in life sciences and environmental research
- participants who want an introduction to metabolomics technologies and data analysis
- researchers interested in integrating metabolomics with other omics approaches
- participants with little or no prior experience of metabolomics data analysis
No prior experience in metabolomics is required.
Prerequisites
No prior experience in metabolomics data analysis is required.
Content details
The course covers the following topics:
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Introduction to metabolomics
Introduces the principles of metabolomics and the role of metabolic phenotypes in understanding biological systems. -
Metabolite extraction and sample preparation
Covers approaches for extracting metabolites from biological samples and discusses considerations for experimental design and sample handling. -
Metabolomics technologies
Introduces commonly used analytical technologies for metabolomics, including high-performance liquid chromatography (HPLC), gas chromatography-mass spectrometry (GC-MS), and nuclear magnetic resonance (NMR) spectroscopy. -
Metabolomics data analysis
Covers approaches for processing and analysing metabolomics datasets and introduces methods for exploring patterns in metabolite abundance. -
Metabolite identification
Introduces methods for identifying metabolites using online databases and discusses challenges associated with metabolite annotation. -
Pathway analysis and biological interpretation
Covers approaches for mapping metabolomics data onto metabolic pathways and demonstrates how metabolite measurements can be interpreted in a biological context. -
Applications of metabolomics
Discusses applications of metabolomics in life sciences and environmental research and illustrates how metabolomics can complement other omics approaches.