Metabolomics for Clinical and Basic Research

Metabolomics has emerged as a powerful approach for characterization of molecular systems and also development of biomarkers for disease progression or diagnosis. Broadly, metabolomics is the characterization of small molecules by mass spectrometry and can include both "unbiased" or non-targeted techniques, as well as "targeted" methods. The measurement of metabolites by mass spectrometry is also directly translatable to the clinic; many common assays such as amino acids, acylcarnitines, vitamin D epimers, steroid hormones, and drugs of abuse are all clinical mass spec assays. Whether developing a novel assay or using a validated metabolite assay, the most important aspect for a successful metabolomics study is deciding which technique to use and understanding the data each approach will likely be able to provide. In this course, we will discuss sample types which are amenable to metabolomics, and utilize case studies to discuss the critical differences in targeted and non-targeted metabolomics and an investigator might choose one over another. We will use example datasets to demonstrate techniques for analysis of high dimensional metabolomic data. We will also cover the methods needed for accurate quantification, how to enable longitudinal translation of metabolomics assays, and how a targeted mass spec assay may differ in utilization from a clinical ELISA.

Registration required: https://duke.qualtrics.com/jfe/form/SV_bKlpk6mFKRPRs69