UK-China collaboration for data sharing in metabolomics | EurekAlert! Science News

"A partnership between the European Bioinformatics Institute (EMBL-EBI), the Universities of Birmingham, Manchester and Oxford, The Sainsbury Laboratory and TGAC with BGI and its open-access journal, GigaScience, has received funding from the UK's Biotechnology and Biological Research Council (BBSRC) to support the sharing of data and analyses in metabolomics. Metabolomics involves the detection and quantification of small molecules (metabolites) in living organisms using mass spectrometers. The measurements made from these sophisticated instruments are analysed using computational programs to determine the abundances of metabolites, the results of which can provide an indication of an organism's cellular condition and health. These data can be stored and shared through public databases such as MetaboLights, which launched in 2012. However, data sharing is not yet keeping pace with the publication of scientific papers in metabolomics. The award of £30,000 from the BBSRC will enable the consortium to host training workshops to support scientists in the UK and China in managing and sharing their metabolomics data and analyses. Such computational skills have been highlighted by the BBSRC as being essential for furthering the impact of science on society and the economy. The consortium will work with Software Carpentry, Data Carpentry, ELIXIR and the Galaxy Project: four international networks dedicated to building computational and bioinformatics skills capacity ..."