Data Processing and Analysis in Mass Spectrometry-Based Metabolomics

Metabolomics is the latest of the omics sciences. It attempts to measure and characterize metabolites-small chemical compounds <1500 Da-on cells, tissue, or biofluids, which are usually products of biological reactions. As metabolic reactions are closer to the phenotype, metabolomics has emerged as an attractive science for various areas of research, including personalized medicine. However, due to the complexity of data obtained and the absence of curated databases for metabolite identification, data processing is the major bottleneck in this area since most technicians lack the required bioinformatics expertise to process datasets in a reliable and fast manner. The aim of this chapter is to describe the available tools for data processing that makes an inexperienced researcher capable of obtaining reliable results without having to undergo through huge parametrization steps.