Metabolomics allows holistic study of an organism/tissue/cell metabolism in response to biotic or abiotic stresses. This molecular phenotyping approach is used in many research fields of interest for INRA like green/white biotechnologies or human nutrition. In France, INRA pioneered the introduction of metabolomics in its research strategy by setting up cutting edge infrastructures and leading the settlement of the national infrastructure MetaboHub. INRA leading position in MetaboHub and its strong involvement the French National Infrastructure in Bioinformatics (IFB) formed the basis of the creation of “virtual research environments” (e-Resources) dedicated to the management and analysis of metabolomics data.
What is OMeR?
OMeR (Open Metabolic e-Resources) is a comprehensive and standardised e-infrastructure based on three key components (Workflow4Metabolomics, MetExplore and PeakForest). OMeR will benefit of expertise and support of INRA Human Nutrition divisions (ALIMH) and Mathematics and Informatics division (MIA); national infrastructures MetaboHub and IFB.
Our Objectives?
The main scientific objective of OMeR is to support INRA research projects requiring production and analysis of metabolomics data. OMeR will help in tackling strategical challenges identified by the institute (like #Food-2) and will contribute to the INRA scientific global research policy (#Open Science- 1, #Open Science-2 and #Open Science-3) notably following FAIR guidelines. OMeR key contribution is the provision of expertise and services dedicated to the management and analysis of metabolomics data, their integration in the context of genome scale metabolic networks and ensuring the interoperability of methods and data in order to include the analysis in a multi-omics perspective.
The main technological objective of OMeR is to developed an integrative e-infrastructure based on the 3 key components. This integration will rely on a modular strategy and an effort toward standardization in order to guaranty interoperability. Particular care will be taken to ensure OMeR interoperability with key resources in the field (repositories like MetaboLights and virtual research environments like the one produced in the framework of the European project PhenoMeNal).
People
OMeR management board had been thought to guaranty that main INRA contributors and partners involved are represented.
Fabien Jourdan (scientific coordinator) is strongly involved in AlimH division research strategy for omics data production and analysis. FJ is also member of the executive board of MetaboHub and president of the RFMF.
Christophe Caron (operational coordinator) was head of Ingenum MIA division laboratory and he was also involved in IFB (e.g. co-leader of the workpackage Distributed national environment of services in bioinformatics). He passed away in May, 2018.
Franck Giacomoni (operational coordinator) is member of AlimH division and also involved in INRA Ingenum unit.
Advisory bodies will be defined and gathered. A scientific and user advisory board will be created in order to guide OMeR toward a sustainable development corresponding to stakeholder’s expectations.