Programme features

The Course will integrate several complementary educational and training elements to ensure that participants gain a detailed and comprehensive overview of advanced lipidomics technologies, supported by practical examples covering the breadth of applications in modern lipid research.

Core concepts and recent developments will be delivered through Lectures by leading international experts, providing both methodological foundations and application-oriented perspectives. These sessions will be complemented by focused Tutorials, allowing participants to explore practical aspects of experimental design, data acquisition, and data analysis in greater depth. Dedicated Q&A sessions will directly address practical questions arising from the participants’ own research projects and day-to-day laboratory experience, ensuring strong interaction between attendees and speakers. In addition, Hands-on laboratory sessions will offer real-world examples of the design and execution of selected lipidomics workflows, reinforcing theoretical knowledge through practical implementation.

The Lectures aim to provide a comprehensive overview and the most recent advances across a broad spectrum of lipid biology and lipidomics-related topics, delivered by distinguished international speakers. They will address diverse aspects of lipid research, ranging from clinically oriented human lipidomics to studies of lipids in plants and microbiomes. In addition, the lecture programme will cover advanced mass spectrometry-based technologies and highlight the development of novel, cutting-edge approaches, including mass spectrometry imaging and structural lipidomics.

The Tutorials will focus on selected practical aspects and will be presented in the form of “use cases,” with each speaker/tutor guiding participants through key practical considerations related to study design, sample preparation, data acquisition, analysis, and data integration. These tutorial cases will be based on real-life examples, drawing on protocols and workflows routinely implemented in the speakers’ own laboratories and research projects.

The Q&A sessions are designed to directly address practical questions raised by participants. Upon admission to the Course, all participants will receive detailed information about the planned Q&A sessions, including the list of assigned tutors and their respective areas of expertise. Participants will be encouraged to prepare questions in advance, focusing on challenges and practical issues encountered in their day-to-day laboratory work.

The Hands-on sessions will provide practical experience with three major lipidomics workflows: untargeted, targeted, and imaging mass spectrometry. Participants will be divided into three groups, rotating through each workflow to ensure exposure to all techniques. This setup will allow participants to gain hands-on experience with advanced instrumentation, from sample processing to data acquisition, across the full spectrum of lipidomics applications.

Several Networking Events are planned to enhance communication among all Course participants and provide insights into diverse career opportunities. All participants will be invited to present their research and interests in the form of posters. This session will allow attendees to learn about each other’s projects and specific research questions. The poster session will be organized as a moderated event chaired by selected invited speakers. Each participant will be given a short time slot (approximately 3 minutes) to briefly introduce their work, followed by dedicated time for more detailed discussions and networking based on shared scientific interests.

Round Table Discussion on diverse career paths will take place, featuring speakers from academia, research core facilities, and industry. This session will provide participants with direct insights into potential career trajectories and opportunities in the field of lipidomics.