Practical Metabolomics Course Development Resources

Metabolomics is a highly interdisciplinary field and has undergone rapid advancement in the three decades since its inception. Scientists wishing to incorporate metabolomics in their research approaches must apply knowledge from a variety of disciplines, from analytical chemistry to multivariate statistics. However, educational and training opportunities are lacking, and many available resources are short-term in nature and focused on expanding the skillset of those already familiar with metabolomics principles, potentially overlooking those newer to the discipline. To address this gap, a graduate course was developed to provide a practical, hands-on approach to teach metabolomics concepts and methods. Centered around active-learning modules, supplemented with lectures, seminars, and tutorials, students are guided through all aspects of a metabolomics experiment, from experimental design to data collection, processing, analysis, and inference. Students have responded positively to this learner-centered approach and report a deep understanding of the material and confidence in using metabolomics protocols in future experiments.