September 2024

Volume 4. Issue 13

The Brief

From the Metabolomics Association of North America

In This Issue

Message from MANA President, Ewy Mathé
MANA News inlcuding MANA 2024 Updates
Corporate Member Updates
MANA Interest Group Updates
Metabolomics Related Events

Message from MANA President, Ewy Mathé

Dear MANA Members,

We are only a month away from the 6^th Annual MANA Conference in Tampa, FL! We have an exciting agenda in place with a mix of interactive workshops, corporate breakfasts and lunch presentations, posters, lightning talks, a reception, and MANA parallel sessions covering a diverse set of topics from biomarkers, health & disease, to food & nutrition, lipidomics, new technologies, AI/ML, environment & ecology, and more! We also look forward to our plenary speakers Drs. Gina DeNicola, Tao Huan, Julia Laskin, Patricia Scaraffia and Oliver Fiehn. Be sure to check out our new video and the conference website for the latest updates and many thanks to Drs. Tim Garrett and John Koomen, alongside the scientific organizing and local committees, for their dedication to hosting the event.

In other important news, MANA has officially launched its new membership system. This is an important milestone for the Association as it streamlines and formalizes our membership process. If you haven’t signed up for the new membership system yet, now is a great time! Further, MANA is preparing for the elections of 4 new members of the MANA Board of Directors (BOD). The BOD comprises eleven members who volunteer their time to work collaboratively on setting policies and guiding MANA activities toward meeting its goals and objectives. Look below for further information on these two aspects.

I hope you enjoy this next round of the newsletter which, in addition to the aforementioned topics, covers the breadth of MANA-related activities, including those led by our Interest Groups, our Early Career Members, and sponsors. Enjoy and hope to see you soon in Tampa!

Best,

Ewy Mathé, your MANA President

The Brief | Volume 4. Issue 13

MANA News

MANA 2024 Conference is 1 month away! Registration is still open!

Join us for the 6th Annual MANA Conference in Tampa, FL. We have a great lineup of plenary speakers, 12 interactive workshops, more than 10 sessions, and plenty of opportunities to network with other metabolomics enthusiasts. So don't delay—register now.

When: October 21-24, 2024
Where: Tampa, FL
Hosted by: Drs. Tim Garrett (University of Florida) & John Koomen (Moffitt Cancer Center)
Website: MANA 2024

If you register TODAY (Monday, September 23rd) by 5 pm PST you can record your interest for the following MANA 2024 awards. If you have an approved abstract, you may be eligible. Please use the links for further details of each award.

ECM (any member within 10 years of their terminal degree):

Lightning Talk Award: for an Early Career Member who succinctly and effectively describes the essence and impact of their scientific research within a short talk. Those with an oral presentation are not eligible for this award.
Best Poster Award: for an Early Career Member who clearly and enthusiastically describes the scientific merit of their research based on effective visual and oral presentation, quality of research, and depth of understanding.

Do you work in a Metabolomics Service Core? (Core is a service resource facility in the support of research in biotechnology laboratories).

Metabolomics Service Core Best Presentation Award : MANA members who hold a position in a service core and will present (poster or oral) at MANA 2024.
During registration, for the question "Which type of organization do you work for?" please select Core Lab to record your interest for MANA awards reserved for staff and professionals who work in Cores.

Please direct any questions to awards@metabolomicsna.org

MANA's New Membership System

MANA has launched a new membership system! Members who have already registered for the 2024 conference in the recent weeks or who have officially joined over the summer do not need to register again. All others, please renew your membership now.
Here's what you need to know:
Membership is free until end of year: You can become a member by visiting the MANA website (metabolomics.org) and clicking "Become a Member" on top right-hand side of our home page. It only takes 5 minutes!
Create a New Account: Your old login info will not work. Please create a new username and password.
Membership types: Regular (any scientist) and Early-Career (within 10 years of terminal degree)
Benefits of the new system:
Update your profile.
Opt into our Interest Groups (IGs).
Vote for and nominate candidates for our 2024 election of new Directors.
Opt into MANA emails and quarterly newsletter.
Apply for awards.
Additional functionality/features will be announced in the future as they become available.
Special reminder for members employed in Core Facilities: Choose "Core Lab" when joining to be eligible for MANA awards reserved for staff and professionals who work in Cores.
Join by November: This mailing list will be active until the end of November. After that date, you will stop receiving our mailings unless you have renewed your MANA membership. Join or renew now to make sure you don't miss future updates!

We hope you are enjoying your MANA membership and that you would like to continue to be part of our Association. If you have any feedback or questions about the new system, please reach out to our MANA Secretary, Dr. Dajana Vuckovic at secretary@metabolomicsna.org

Nominations and Elections for the Board of Directors Coming Soon

MANA Board of Directors will be searching for four new directors to start a three-year term in January 2025. Nominations will open soon on Oct. 1. The election for Directors will run in November, followed by the election for Vice-President and Secretary in December. All MANA members are eligible to nominate other members, self-nominate, and/or vote in the election. Please keep an eye on MANA emails for further details and don’t forget to vote this fall.

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Corporate Member Highlights

We are thrilled to welcome two new sponsors, Waters and Beckman Coulter. We look forward to a successful partnership! If you'd like to learn more about our new Corporate Members click here 1) Waters and 2) Beckman Coulter

Thank you to our 2024 Corporate Members for supporting MANA and whose technologies and involvement help drive the field of metabolomics forward.

If you are interested in being our next corporate member to be highlighted submit your content to our email mana@metabolomicsna.org!

Batch-to-batch suppression-correction and normalization across weeks with instrument shut-down

We challenged the TruQuant Workflow to see if it could correct for ion-suppression and normalize biological samples that were processed and analyzed in 6 separate batches across several weeks using an instrument that was taken down (after batch 4 the source was pulled, and re-tuned). S. cerevisiae was treated with 4 oxidants. An equal amount of Internal Standard (IROA-IS) added to each sample.ⁱThey were both suppression-corrected and normalized using the same set of values. We used a “Dual-MSTUS” algorithm that makes the C12-MSTUS value (sum of C12 peaks) equal to the C13-MSTUS (sum of C13-IS peaks) since we know the C13-MSTUS is constant. The Workflow corrected for the Batch-effects by normalizing each sample yielding a very low variance dataset.

i Manuscript in process

Integrated Multi-Omics Analysis from Panome Bio

Unlock deeper insights into biological systems with Panome Bio’s Integrated Multi-Omics Services. By combining metabolomics, lipidomics, proteomics, transcriptomics, and genomics data using a proprietary bioinformatics pipeline we provide a comprehensive view of complex biochemical pathways, enabling you to uncover novel biomarkers, elucidate disease mechanisms, and accelerate drug discovery. Our integrated approach offers unparalleled data accuracy and depth, allowing you to connect the dots between different molecular layers for a holistic understanding of your research questions. Partner with Panome Bio to elevate your research, drive innovation, and achieve breakthroughs with confidence.

For more information follow the link: https://panomebio.com/integrated-multi-omic-analysis/

Email: info@panomebio.com

Panome Bio - Next-Generation Metabolomics, Lipidomics, and Proteomics Services

Don’t miss everything LECO has going on at MANA…

We’re looking forward to seeing everyone at MANA in October! Don’t miss our Breakfast Talk on Wednesday, October 23, where Erland Arning from Baylor Scott and White will discuss his work with Urine Organic Acids (UOA) methodology for clinical diagnostics and use in clinical trials. In addition, LECO’s Dave Alonso will explain his work on comprehensive profiling of Nepeta Cataria in his Oral Presentation on Tuesday, October 22 and share a poster featuring Non-Targeted Characterization of POPs in Human Plasma during the poster sessions. We hope to see you at our presentations and invite you to come and chat with us afterward to discuss any questions or comments you may have.

Join us at MANA 2024 to explore the new QTRAP 7500+, and novel data for the ZenoTOF 7600 in both targeted and untargeted workflows. Stay tuned for our lunch event speaker announcement!

Upcoming Highlights from SCIEX:

SCIEX Virtual Summit: Three days of talks from leading researchers, including metabolomics and lipidomics experts. Register here.

Tech Note on the New SCIEX 7500+: Released at ASMS, this instrument shows improved lipidomics panel performance. Read the tech note.

Webinar: Discover a novel method combining targeted and untargeted approaches using MRMHR and DIA with the ZenoTOF 7600. Register here.

Resources: We’ve collated our resources for everything lipidomics. Access the content pack.

Bruker brings you to the 4^th dimension

Explore the versatility of timsTOF technology for metabolomics and lipidomics! Trapped ion mobility spectrometry (TIMS) offers significant advantages in characterizing biological samples, particularly with challenging to separate isobaric and isomeric compounds. With applications ranging from in silico Derivatization to fluxomics, MetaboScape® and TASQ® cover all your untargeted and targeted analysis needs with workflows dedicated to 4D-Metabolomics™ and 4D-Lipidomics™.

Metabolite identification is still a major challenge in untargeted data analysis. TIMS-derived CCS values can make all the difference when it comes to finding the best candidate structure. With tools like SmartFormula 3D, CompoundCrawler, MetFrag and CCS-Predict Pro integrated into MetaboScape, researchers can be confident in metabolite annotation, especially in the absence of reference MS/MS and CCS data. All you need is InChI or SMILES structure to get started.

Concerned about data quality? RealTime QC, a novel quality control feature, was developed for just this purpose. Monitor LC, MS, and TIMS parameters as data is being generated to spare losing precious samples and ensure the highest quality data.

Are you coming to the 6^th Annual MANA Conference in Tampa, Florida, this year? Please visit our booth and attend our lunch seminar featuring Dr. Kari Basso, Director of the Mass Spectrometry Research and Education Center at 12:00pm – 1:00pm on Wednesday, October 23^rd, 2024. Looking forward to seeing you there!

Prepare to delve into the cutting-edge advancements in metabolomics and lipidomics by participating in Thermo Fisher Scientific vendor session, lunch workshop, posters, and presentations at the 6^th Annual MANA Conference.

Learn more about the Thermo Scientific™ Stellar^TM MS on both the Tuesday lunch workshop focused on stable isotope studies and the Wednesday vendor session covering targeted metabolomics workflows. Additionally, learn about SQUAD analysis of bile acids using the Thermo Scientific™ Orbitrap^TM IQ-X^TM Tribrid^TM mass spectrometer during the conference.

For further information on our state-of-the-art workflows for targeted metabolomics, engineered for unparalleled ease of use, speed, sensitivity, and selectivity with the groundbreaking Stellar MS, please refer to our application note or reach out to Bashar Amer at bashar.amer@thermofisher.com.

Revolutionizing Chemical Hazard Assessment through Multi-omics Analysis using the Biomek i7 Automated Workstation

The €20M EU Horizon 2020-funded PrecisionTox project is transforming chemical hazard assessment! By integrating transcriptomics, metabolomics, machine learning, and chemical exposure experiments across diverse model organisms, PrecisionTox project is pioneering safer scientific frontiers.

Central to this groundbreaking research is the Biomek i7 Hybrid automated workstation from Beckman Coulter Life Sciences. This high-throughput, semi-automated extraction system processes over 10,000 samples, boosting efficiency by 5 times versus manual methods.

With the Biomek i7 workstation, precise extraction and analysis of polar and lipophilic compounds can be ensured, revealing vital metabolic shifts in organisms like Daphnia magna and Danio rerio.

Join us at the Beckman Coulter Life Sciences Booth to learn more!

Access our application notes to learn how our solutions can automate metabolomics workflows.

The Brief | Volume 4. Issue 13

MANA Interest Group Updates

New Kids on the Block!

We're excited to announce the formation of two new interest groups, expanding our community and collaboration opportunities. Stay tuned for upcoming events and initiatives from these groups!

Industry Engagement IG

Analytical instrumentation is a cornerstone of metabolomics, with aspirations of acquiring high-quality data quickly and easily to facilitate research endeavors. Establishing relationships between instrument vendors and researchers can help with getting the most out of analytical tools. Good communication enables access to information on best practices or implementing novel workflows. Here we provide a platform for engaging with industry to bridge the gap between researchers and the experts behind the instruments.

Who should join?

Instrument vendors, academic researchers, pharmaceutical companies, and contract research organizations that want to make the most out of their instrumentation.

Topics:

Instrument preventative maintenance/troubleshooting
Optimizing instrument parameters
Data acquisition modes
Instrument connectivity (contact closure, plugins)
Collaborations with industry

To join, please contact us via email at: engageindustry@metabolomicsna.org

Spatial Metabolomics and Lipidomics IG

The formation of the Spatial Metabolomics and Lipidomics (SML) Interest Group recognizes the importance of metabolomics and lipidomics spatial distributions in two- and three-dimensional spaces, particularly in relationship with various pathologies in human diseases. SML IG will provide a forum for members of similar interests to discuss and explore metabolomics and lipidomics and their spatial distributions in both in vivo and ex vivo studies with multiple imaging modalities. Interested members should contact Leo L. Cheng, PhD at chenglingleo@gmail.com

MANA Early Career Members

Early Career Members (ECM) strives to empower the next generation of scientists in the field of metabolomics in North America by supporting opportunities for mentorship, networking, training, and career development opportunities.

Recent Events:

MANA ECM is looking forward to MANA 2024! Make sure to stay tuned for details of the ECM Networking Reception on October 22, 2024, from 7-9 pm ET. You can find updates on the MANA conference website.
September 16-20, 2024, was National Postdoc Appreciation Week! MANA ECM will be featuring flash talks from selected early career postdoc members to celebrate their work on September 27, 2024, at 1-2 pm ET/ 10-11 am PT! To attend the “Showcase of Emerging and Innovative Research” to see their amazing work, register here.

New ECM Initiatives:

MANA ECM is launching a centralized early career reviewer list! Are you interested in gaining review experience, or participating in review mentoring? Sign up today! Our list will be periodically shared with editors of metabolomics-focused journals to encourage the recruitment of early-career researchers as peer reviewers.
COMING THIS NOVEMBER! ECM is hosting a Metabolomics Core Appreciation Week to celebrate MANA early career professionals who dedicate themselves to the field through their work in metabolomics core facilities. Stay tuned for details!

If you’re not already part of the email list, please send us an email at earlycareer@metabolomicsna.org with your name and the year of the last degree.

WomiX: Womxn in Metabolomics

WomiX is committed to the advancement of Womxn in Metabolomics. Using “womxn” with an “x” in order to explicitly welcome trans women, transfeminine, genderfluid, and nonbinary participants. All MANA members and allies are welcome to our community regardless of gender!

Don't miss WomiX at MANA 2024:

Tuesday, October 22, from 5:45 to 7:00 PM: We're collaborating with the Early Career Members (ECM) group and MANA Board of Directors member Erica Forsberg for an interactive workshop titled "Career Development Q&A: Building and Leveraging Your Personal Brand to Achieve Professional Goals."
Wednesday, October 23, 2024 at 9:00-9:45 AM: The WomiX Mentorship Award Lecture will be given by Dr. Rachel Kelly from Brigham and Women's Hospital and Harvard Medical School.

Recent Activities:

New committee member, Leila Khorraminezhad, Ph.D. joined us in September!
Yendry Carvajal-Miranda, a second-year Ph.D. student at the Fiehn Lab, UC Davis, has completed her internship at Thermo, read more below.
The WomiX Mentorship Program had a workshop titled "Navigating Preanalytical Challenges in Metabolomics" on Sept. 5, 2024, where they discussed best practices for pre-analytical processes in metabolomics which included sample collection, handling, and preparation. If you'd like to add your tips & advice, click here to fill out the survey.

2024 Thermo Summer Internship - Wrap Up!

WomiX would like to thank Thermo Fisher Scientific and Dr. Susan Bird for this collaboration and opportunity to provide a summer internship for a WomiX member.

"During these 12 weeks of summer internship, I worked with the Metabolomics group within the Analytical Instrument Group at Thermo Fisher Scientific, based in San Jose, CA under the guidance of Susan Bird and her team, Bashar Amer and Rahul Deshpande. The project aimed to develop a metabolomics workflow – Simultaneous Quantitation and Discovery (SQUAD) to analyze flavonoids and conjugates of flavonoids in biological samples collected from a cross-sectional dietary study. The internship experience was amazing. I learned a lot from very knowledgeable professionals who were also very kind people. I am very grateful for this opportunity." - Yendry Carvajal-Miranda

Top & bottom: Yendry acquiring data on theThermo Orbitrap IQ-X

WomiX is still growing! All MANA members are welcome to join regardless of gender. Join here to get updates about WomiX.

Stay Connected!

CORES - Cores Corner

We are excited to share that the Cores Interest Group will hold a workshop at MANA 2024 in collaboration with MANA ECM. During this workshop, we will discuss the role and career paths of early-career staff in core facilities across North America. We will hear from ECM and established core leaders on solutions and opportunities for maintaining healthy careers in cores. This event is also an excellent networking opportunity for those who are or are planning on pursuing a career in cores.

We also would like to highlight that there are several awards available only to those in core facilities. You can find the list and details of these awards on our website here. We ask that if you are part of a core facility to please indicate “Core Facility” as your affiliation on the registration site. This will make the Core awards available to you later on during the registration and the conference. Please contact the Awards committee if you have any questions: awards@metabolomicsna.org.

MIG

Returning from the summer break, the Microbiome Interest Group is looking forward to another year of exciting scientific interactions within MIG and MANA. Co-led by Drs. Robert Quinn (Michigan State University, quinnrob@msu.edu) and Chris Zhu (The Ohio State University, zhu.2484@osu.edu), MIG is extending invitations to all MIG members and microbiome/metabolome enthusiasts to nominate your favorite colleagues for our monthly seminar and discussion series which we hope to start soon for the Fall semester. Please feel free to reach out to the co-leaders if you are excited about a microbiome/metabolomics-related science story that you want others to hear too! Self-nomination is also welcome!

Meanwhile, MIG would like to invite all members and everyone interested to join us for an informal gathering during MANA 2024 in Tampa. We will meet at the “World of Beer” (2815 E Fowler AVE, Tampa, FL 33612) on Tuesday (Oct 22) night around 7 pm. Come and join us for a fun night of conversations, or just have a taste of your favorite beverage!

If you want more information about these interest groups or want to start an interest group please check our website . All interest groups are open to new members.

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Metabolomics Related Events

2024 UC Davis WCMC Metabolomics Courses

The UC Davis WCMC holds a series of training courses throughout the year for professional researchers, graduate students, postdocs, staff, and scientists.

Bits & Bites 2024: 10-Part Short Course Series (Online) | Jan - Dec, 2024 | Website
For more information: Please contact Jeannette Martins jmartins@ucdavis.edu or visit our website

Have instructional courses or workshops to offer?

If you are interested in submitting content regarding instructional courses or workshops email us at mana@metabolomicsna.org!

The Brief | Volume 4. Issue 13

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