Course code:
281A2
Course name:
Metabolomics

Academic year:

2024/2025.

Attendance requirements:

There are no requirements.

ECTS:

10

Study level:

doctoral academic studies

Study programs:

Chemistry: 1. year, winter semester, elective (E71H2) course

Chemistry: 1. year, winter semester, elective (E72H2) course

Chemistry: 2. year, winter semester, elective (E74H2) course

Chemistry: 2. year, winter semester, elective (E73H2) course

Biochemistry: 1. year, winter semester, elective (E72B2) course

Biochemistry: 1. year, winter semester, elective (E71B2) course

Biochemistry: 2. year, winter semester, elective (E74B2) course

Biochemistry: 2. year, winter semester, elective (E73B2) course

Teachers:

Dejan M. Gođevac, Ph.D.
principal research fellow, Institute of Chemistry, Technology and Metallurgy, Njegoševa 12, Beograd

Ljubodrag V. Vujisić, Ph.D.
associate professor, Faculty of Chemistry, Studentski trg 12-16, Beograd

Assistants:

Hours of instruction:

Weekly: five hours of lectures + three hours of study research work

Goals:

The objective of this course is to introduce the definition and principles of metabolomics. We want to present principles of experiment setup, sampling, and sample preparation for different analytics platforms. Students will be introduced to the basics of multivariate data analysis in order to interpret the obtained results and to use metabolomics methods as medicinal diagnostic tools.

Outcome:

Students will be able to:

  • understand the goal of metabolomics as a multidisciplinary science;
  • perform sampling and sample preparation for analysis;
  • understand the basic concept of analytical platforms (chromatography, mass spectrometry and NMR) used for metabolomics;
  • understand the basics of multivariate data analysis in metabolomics.

Teaching methods:

Lectures, homework, colloquia and semester papers.

Extracurricular activities:

Guest lectures.

Coursebooks:

  1. Silas G. Villas-Boas, Ute Roessner, Michael A. E. Hansen, Jorn Smedsgaard, Jens Nielsen: Metabolome analysis - an introduction, John Wiley & Sons, Inc.
  2. Multi- and Megavariate Data Analysis, Part I: Basic Principles and Applications, Umetrics AB

Additional material:

  Course activities and grading method

Lectures:

0 points (5 hours a week)

Syllabus:

  1. Metabolomics as a multidisciplinary science.
  2. The place of metabolomics in systems biology - a holistic approach in scientific research.
  3. Primary and secondary metabolites - diversity in structures and physicochemical properties.
  4. Sampling - "quenching" cell metabolism.
  5. Techniques for separating small molecules from macromolecules.
  6. Choosing an analytics platform.
  7. Sample preparation for GC-MS analysis - derivatization and injection techniques.
  8. Sample preparation for LC-MS analysis - solid phase extraction.
  9. Determination of metabolite structure based on GC-MS and LC-MS data.
  10. Determination of metabolite structure in mixture by NMR spectroscopy techniques.
  11. Data processing for multivariate analysis.
  12. Basic methods of multivariate data analysis in metabolomics - PCA, OPLS, OPLS-DA.
  13. Metabolomics approach to medicinal diagnostics.

Semester papers:

40 points

Colloquia:

10 points

Oral exam:

50 points

Study research work:

0 points (3 hours a week)