The African Centre for Gene Technologies (ACGT), the University of Johannesburg and the University of Pretoria organized the 2019 Advanced Metabolomics Workshop that was held at the University of Pretoria from 13-15th March 2019. The workshop provided a capacity building platform to address key issues and challenges in the field of metabolomics.
The workshop was facilitated by this panel of elite metabolomics experts. The facilitators were Dr Reza Salek (International Agency for Research on Cancer, Lyon, France), Dr Karl Burgess (University of Edinburgh, Scotland, UK), Dr Fabien Jourdan (INRA Toulouse, France), Dr Justine Bertrand-Michel (INSERM Toulouse, France), Dr Naomi Rankin (University Hospital Wishaw, Scotland, UK), Dr Jasper Engel (Wageningen University & Research, The Netherlands) and Dr Fidele Tugizmana (University of Johannesburg, RSA).
This workshop covered advanced metabolomics topics using a combination of lectures, interactive round table discussions and computer-based practical sessions. The topics covered in the workshop included applications of metabolomics (clinical, plant/agricultural, industrial), LC-MS/MS/NMR metabolite identification, simple and multivariate statistics, data standards and metabolomics resource, network-oriented metabolomics data mapping, advanced data analysis, lipidomics, metabolomics networks and using fragmentation to enhance metabolite IDs. Throughout the three days, the delegates also had a chance to ask project-specific questions and advice from the with facilitators.
The participants were from the ACGT partner institutions, as well as outside institutions including previously disadvantaged research institutions. There were participants from University of Pret
oria, University of Johannesburg, University of the Witwatersrand, Agricultural Research Council, Council for Scientific and Industrial Research, North-West University, University of South Africa, Tshwane University of Technology, University of the Free State, Walter Sisulu University, University of Cape Town and the University of Venda. Delegates exhibited different scientific backgrounds and had the chance to get to know each other through two-minute elevator-type flash presentations on the first day of each workshop.
The ACGT would also like to wish all the participants of the workshops all the luck with their work and future in metabolomics. Furthermore, the ACGT sends much deserved gratitude to all the members of the organizing committee; Mr Molati Nonyane, Mrs Itseng Malao, Dr John Becker, Dr Fidele Tugizimana, and the European visitors for all of their efforts in making this event a success. The ACGT would also like to extend their gratitude to the sponsors of this event in Thermo Fisher Scientific and the Embassy of France in South Africa.
If you would like to view most of the pictures from this event, please visit our facebook page:
https://www.facebook.com/ACGT.biotec/
For any metabolomics-related capacity building and networking queries, kindly contact Mr Molati Nonyane, ACGT Liaison Scientist (, 0124206139).