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Towards in situ Spatial Metabolomics
Seetharaman Vaidyanathan, Lecturer, University of Sheffield, United Kingdom

We are developing secondary ion mass spectrometry imaging for in situ spatial metabolomics to capture contextual intra- and inter-cellular spatio-temporal metabolite localisations. The challenges of the current methodologies and its potential developmental scope will be discussed, in the context of other techniques currently available.

Advances in the Synthesis and Analysis of Chiral Central Metabolites
Roland Wohlgemuth, Senior Scientist, Sigma-Aldrich , Switzerland

New pathway-specific analytical separation methods, new chiral analytical methodologies as well as the inherent chirality of biocatalysts have been key success factors for the development of new biocatalytic reactions. This has enabled the synthesis and analysis of central metabolites which up to now have been difficult to access. These newly available metabolites have found useful applications in various metabolomics areas ranging from renewable energy, plant and microbial metabolomics to biomedical and pharmaceutical research.

Coffee Break and Networking in the Exhibition Hall

Ion-Mobility Edited Mass Spectrometry and its Application to Metabolic Profiling
John Shockcor, Director of Metabolic Profiling, Waters Corp., United States of America

This presentation will describe the many novel uses of Ion-Mobility in metabolomics and lipidomics.

Technology Spotlight:
Technology Spotlight Using Metabolomics to Study Malaria
Steve Fischer, Senior Applications Chemist, Agilent Technologies Life Sciences Group

We apply a metabolomics study to malaria infected erythrocytes to show how a discovery of a Biomarker, and its identity can be confirmed. We also show how pathway analysis can both help with the data mining and facilitate understanding of the biological system.

Lunch and Networking in the Exhibition Hall

Poster Viewing Session

Metabolomics as a Platform for High-Throughput Biomarker Discovery in Cancer
Aalim Weljie, Research Assistant Professor, University of Calgary, Canada

Data will be presented from cohorts of pancreatic, colon and brain tumors patients. Analysis of these biomarkers is performed using a pattern-driven approach, and as such analytical techniques which are both quantitative and high-throughput are favoured. The outcome is information with respect to a ‘biopattern’ of disease without the requirement for comprehensively attempting to characterize the entire metabolome. Furthermore, the resulting multivariate data is characterized by concerted changes in multiple markers, in contrast with traditional biomarker-driven approaches that rely on single markers. Finally, several challenges in the evolution of the field will be discussed, including interpreting coherent biological meaning from a combination of both NMR and MS data, and reliable assessment of candidate markers using multivariate statistics.

Metabolomic Biomarkers of Hypoxic Ischaemic Encephalopathy and Perinatal Asphyxia in Umbilical Cord Blood
David Broadhurst, Assistant Professor of Biostatistics, University of Alberta, Canada

Peri-natal hypoxic ischemic encephalopathy (HIE) is a condition that occurs when the newborn brain is deprived of an adequate oxygen supply around the time of delivery, and can lead to clinical signs of cerebral injury. Here we present a DI-MS/MS metabolic profiling biomarker study of umbilical cord blood with the ultimate aim of producing quick, cheap, reproducible, non-user dependent mass spectrometer based method for quantifying severity of HIE and enabling rapid therapeutic intervention.

Coffee Break and Networking in the Exhibition Hall

Session: Disease in Metabolomics

Application of Oxylipin Profiling as Part of a Systems-Based Approach to Investigating Inflammatory Disease
Craig Wheelock, Associate Professor, Karolinska Institutet, Sweden

Oxylipins (e.g., eicosanoids and resolvins) are lipid mediators with well-known biological roles in a number of inflammatory diseases including asthma, COPD and atherosclerosis. These compounds have defined roles in the etiology of the inflammatory process and its subsequent resolution. Systems biology studies focus on the integration of multiple omics-based platforms towards the goal of understanding mechanisms in disease onset, progression and potential resolution. We will provide examples of the application of oxylipin profiling using UPLC-MS/MS methods from multiple biological matrices as a key component of an overall systems biology strategy

Lipidomics in Life Style Associated Diseases
Ivana Bobeldijk-Pastorova, Senior Project Manager and Scientist, TNO Triskelion B V, Netherlands

Lipid classes important for lifestyle diseases are analyzed by LC-MS based methods in biological matrices. Different requirements are needed with respect to sample work-up, sensitivity and ionization. Overview of the methods, their strengths and weaknesses and applications will be presented.

Drinks Reception

Free Workshop
A Multivariate Statistical Tool Kit for Mass Spectrometry Based Metabolomics/Lipidomics

Plant Metabolomics for Functional Genomics and Biotechnology
Kazuki Saito, Team Leader, Riken Plant Science Center, Japan

Metabolomics plays a major role in plant functional genomics and biotechnology. This presentation will describe the recent development of cutting-edge metabolomics technology and successful application in plant functional genomics and crop biotechnology.

Developing a Data-Driven Framework for Discovery and Use of Dietary Exposure Biomarkers in Human Epidemiological Studies
John Draper, Professor, Aberystwyth University, United Kingdom

Flow-infusion ESI-MS fingerprinting combined with machine learning data analysis has been used to explore the relationship between estimated habitual diet and urine chemical composition. FT-MS and MS/MS analysis of explanatory signals revealed potential biomarkers for a range of foods of high public heath significance.

Coffee Break and Networking in the Exhibition Hall

Distributional Issues in NMR Data Sets of Human Biofluids
Kate Kemsley, Senior Research Associate, BBSRC, United Kingdom

Several large-scale NMR studies of human biofluids have shown that the metabolite concentrations are often far from normally distributed across the dataset. This talk discusses the implications of this finding.

Interactive Metabolomics: Putting the i in Metabolomics
Clare Daykin, Research Consultant, University of Nottingham, United Kingdom

In this talk, the theoretical background of “i-metabolomics” will be discussed and we will show how metabolite-macromolecule interactions vary dependent on the individual volunteer, sample collection conditions and sample storage conditions.

Lunch and Networking in the Exhibition Hall

Poster Viewing Session

Using Continuous Culture Metabolomics to Study Environmental Effects in Pseudomonas aeruginosa
David Barrett, Professor, University of Nottingham, United Kingdom

The use of bacterial continuous culture (chemostat) was validated as a stable and controllable method of monitoring the effect of environmental conditions on the growth and metabolism of Pseudomonas aeruginosa. Global metabolomics analysis and targeted pathway profiling methods using LC-MS were established to monitor intra- and extracellular metabolites. P. aeruginosa was shown to adapt its production of pivotal signalling molecules according to its environment, resulting in modulation of central metabolism and virulence factor production. This observation has clinical relevance to P. aeruginosa behaviour in biofilm formation and in cystic fibrosis patients

Metabolomics for Gene and Pathway Discovery in Plant Secondary Metabolism
Asaph Aharoni, Head, Weizmann Institute of Science, Israel

Plants produce thousands of chemicals, including secondary metabolites crucial for environmental interactions. Despite major advancements we still lack information regarding the biosynthesis and regulation of secondary metabolites production. This presentation will demonstrate how metabolomics plays a key role in the elucidation of plant secondary metabolism.

Coffee Break and Networking in the Exhibition Hall

Investiating Abiotic Stress Tolerance in Plants Using Metabolomics
Camilla Hill, Reseacher, Australian Centre for Plant Functional Genomics , United Kingdom

In this presentation metabolomics has been used to investigate a plant’s response to different abiotic stress conditions. A comparison of changes of metabolic pattern between different cultivars and species will allow the identification of metabolites involved in stress tolerance.

Successes and Challenges in Crop Metabolomics
Robert Hall, Professor, Plant Research International, Netherlands

We shall detail how metabolomics is already providing us with unique insights into the biochemical composition of our food, both fresh and processed, and how we can use the technology to design better, tastier products and with less wastage.

Close of Conference