Metabolomic Standards Initiative

Metabolomics Standards Initiative (MSI) http //msi-workgroups.sourceforge.net/... 

Sumner LW, et al. Proposed minimum reporting standards for chemical analysis Chemical Analysis Working Group (CAWG) Metabolomics Standards Initiative (MSI). Metabolomics 2007 3 211-221. 

Recent initiatives have been introduced, in particular for metabolomic experiments for plants such as Armet but also the Metabolomics Standard Initiative [FIE 07]. These initiatives help, among others, to share a certain number of data concerning the standards and thus facilitate by automation the aimotation of compounds. Much software today helps explore the databases to propose chemical structures. Most of the time they use the ID and 2D NMR data, such as the Chenomx, Amix (Bruker), Metabominer, rNMR or even BMRB software. 

However, it is clear that the ease of collecting proteome data currently exceeds the capacity to analyse it. Therefore, international standards are being sought for proteomic experiments, such as the proteomics standards initiative (PSI, http //psidev.source forge.net/), and the proteomics experiment data repository (PEDRo, http //pedro.man.ac.uk). The aim is to provide proteomic researchers with the opportunity to query and reproduce protocols, analyse raw or metadata from other laboratories, and to link the proteome with the respective transcriptome and the metabolome. The Human Proteome Organization (HUPO) is establishing a defined infrastructure for human data submission, and annotation for the numerous proteomic data platforms. This will also be required to effectively develop parasitic flatworm proteomics. 

Metabolomics is now an integral part of most major systems biology grants we can thus expect more coordinated large-scale efforts and projects of high-quality research where metabolite profiling data will be fused with that from other Omics platforms. Most importantly, standardization and establishment of robust and reliable cross-platform metabolomics databases are absolutely necessary. Such initiatives (57) are needed to promote the topic and finally assess its utility in enhancing the quality of human life. 

A standardization of the experimental protocols to obtain standard sample is desirable in order to compare database acquired in different laboratories. In this context, several initiatives, carried out by the Standard Metabolic Reporting Structures group, were focused to produce draft policy documents covering all aspects of a metabolomic study that are recommended for recording, from the raw biological sample, the analysis of material from that sample, and che-mometric and statistical approaches to retrieve informaticHi from the sample data [19-21]. 

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