CA19105 - Pan-European Network in Lipidomics and EpiLipidomics (EpiLipidNET)

Lipids represent a wide variety of molecules that play different biological roles such as energy resources, structural components or signaling molecules that regulate metabolic homeostasis. Most notably, lipids and oxidatively modified lipids have been found to be involved in regulating important mechanisms mediating tissue injury, inflammation, and related non-communicable diseases, which are responsible for near 70% of all deaths in developed countries.

Lipidomics and Epilipidomics are the most promising strategies for the progress in the knowledge of lipids, aiming at biomarker discovery for the prevention, early diagnosis, monitoring, evaluation of diseases therapeutics. These approaches involve the use of complex protocols, different instrumentation and processing huge amounts of data. Effectiveness, while reducing the high costs associated with these technologies, requires a harmonized multidisciplinary approach involving coordinated actions from pan-European centres of lipidomics investigation. This will avoid unnecessary redundancy, improving reproducibility and ensuring  efficient and productive research.

EpiLipidNET aims to build and maintain a multidisciplinary pan-European network of researchers, clinicians and enterprises working in the field of lipidomics and epilipidomics to boost a hub of research excellence, advanced knowledge and technology transfer, to promote high level of training for young researches and facilitate clinical translation. EpiLipidNet will include five interactive Working Groups covering analytical methods and computational approaches in (epi)Lipidomics, clinical significance and applications,  lipid signaling and mechanisms of action,  dissemination and outreach.