LIPID Metabolites And Pathways Strategy (LIPID MAPS®) is a multi-institutional supported website and database that provides access to a large number of globally used lipidomics resources. LIPID MAPS® has internationally led the field of lipid curation, classification, and nomenclature since 2003. We strive to produce new open-access databases, informatics tools and lipidomics-focused training activities will be generated and made publicly available for researchers studying lipids in health and disease. LIPID MAPS® Lipidomics Gateway was created in 2003 via an NIH “Glue Grant” to provide access to lipid nomenclature, databases, tools, protocols, standards, tutorials, meetings, publications, and other resources to serve the international lipid research community. LIPID MAPS® was previously funded by a multi-institutional grant from Wellcome and is now funded under an MRC Partnership award, held jointly by Cardiff University, University of California San Diego, the Babraham Institute Cambridge, Swansea University, and The University of Edinburgh. This current phase will see that LIPID MAPS® is maintained and importantly, further developed in line with the global demand and development of lipidomics. LIPID MAPS® has an internationally recognized classification system and the largest curated lipid structure database in the world. LIPID MAPS® supports researchers to conduct integrative systems-level analyses of lipidomics in physiology and pathophysiology.
LIPID MAPS® generates tools and resources that address the emerging area of Systems Lipidomics, applied to biomedical research. This ranges from underpinning mechanistic studies on tissues, model systems and pathogenic and commensal microbes, through to human cohort epidemiology. New open-access databases, informatics tools and lipidomics-focused training activities are being generated and made publicly available for researchers studying lipids in health and disease. LIPID MAPS® Objectives are: (i) expand core activities of curation, classification/nomenclature and training, (ii) deliver a step change in provision of systems biology resources for the lipidomics research community.
The LIPID MAPS classification, nomenclature, and structure drawing conventions represent community standards, adopted by researchers and journals worldwide. Lipid structures are curated with metadata in line with this. Lipids are represented as MOL files and stored with Canonical SMILES, InChI and InChIKey representations (community interoperability standards). Extensive metadata included with curated lipids includes systematic name, synonyms, exact mass, qualified links to other database entries and their IDs, abbreviations, physicochemical properties and reactions. The organism is recorded using the NCBI Taxonomy ontology.
LIPID MAPS infrastructure is housed on servers at Babraham Institute. Our current funding model is based on grant income from charities, government funders and limited sponsorship. Should this cease, we would commit to maintaining the website and databases available for a nominal cost. Our infrastructure was upgraded during the last 3 years, with migration to Laravel, meaning that significant upgrades are not required for an extended period. We have over 5-year lifespan for our current hardware. Beyond maintenance, to generate further tools and resources, additional funding would be sought through grant schemes.
The operational and management group considers and oversees all matters related to the routine management and maintenance of the LIPID MAPS® website, database and resource. Valerie O’Donnell (Chair), Cardiff University, UK Robert Andrews, Cardiff University, UK Matthew Conroy, Cardiff University, UK Lauren Cockayne, Cardiff University, UK Chetin Baloglu, Babraham Institute, Cambridge, UK Simon Andrews, Babraham Institute Cambridge, UK Edward Dennis, University of California San Diego, USA Eoin Fahy, University of California San Diego, USA Shankar Subramaniam, University of California San Diego, USA William Griffiths, Swansea University, UK Andrea Lopez, Babraham Institute Cambridge, UK Ruth Andrew, The University of Edinburgh, UK Dominic Campopiano, The University of Edinburgh, UK Maria Fedorova, TU Dresden, Germany
The Scientific Advisory Board is an international and independent board, providing expert advice and guidance to all matters relating to LIPID MAPS®. Peter Meikle, Baker Institute, Melbourne Anna Nicolaou, University of Manchester, UK Cathy Costello, Boston University, USA Makoto Arita, RIKEN Center for Integrative Medical Sciences, Tokyo Michal Holcapek, University of Pardubice, Czech Republic Sameer Velankar, Team Lead, PDBe, European Bioinformatics Institute, UK
The Nomenclature Group monitors and expands the LIPID MAPS® lipid classification, nomenclature, and structure drawing guidelines as appropriate and respond to user input and questions. Edward Dennis (Chair), University of California San Diego, USA Al Merrill, Georgia Institute of Technology, USA Alan Brash, Vanderbilt School of Medicine, USA Andrea Lopez, Babraham Institute Cambridge William Griffiths, Swansea University, UK Dominic Campopiano, The University of Edinburgh, UK Eoin Fahy, University of California San Diego, USA Gerhard Liebisch, University of Regensburg, Germany Junken Aoki, Tohoku University, Japan Maria Fedorova, TU Dresden, Germany Robert Murphy, University of Colorado School of Medicine Denver, USA Shankar Subramaniam, University of California San Diego, USA Valerie O’Donnell, Cardiff University, UK
Kim Ekroos, Lipidomics Consulting Ltd, Finland Egon Willighagen, Maastricht University, Netherlands Denise Slenter, Maastricht University, Netherlands Makoto Arita, RIKEN Center for Integrative Medical Sciences, Yokohama City, Japan Markus Wenk, National University of Singapore, Singapore Kirk Maxey, Founder and CEO, Cayman Chemical, Ann Arbor, Michigan, USA Alan Bridge, Swiss Lipids, Switzerland
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