LIPID MAPS_® highlights

Selected content from the LIPID MAPS Consortium, including new and updated tools, data interfaces, tutorials, meeting notices, and more.

• March, 2018

  Subcellular fractionation studies on macrophages Measurements of lipid quanitities present in various cell fractions (cytoplasm, ER, mitochondria, nucleus, plasma membrane) for control and treatment with Kdo2-Lipid A. Experiments were conducted with RAW264.7 cells.

• February, 2018

  LIPID MAPS Structure Database (LMSD) Structure-Data File (SDF) Download

  Download the latest exports of structures and annotations — updated December 12, 2017 — from the LIPID MAPS Structure Database (LMSD) as an SDF.

  Annotations include:
  LM_ID, COMMON_NAME, CATEGORY, MAIN_CLASS, SUB_CLASS, CHEBI_ID, INCHI_KEY,LIPID_MAPS_CMPD_URL, PUBCHEM_SUBSTANCE_URL, SYSTEMATIC_NAME, SYNONYMS,EXACT_MASS, FORMULA, LIPIDBANK_ID, PUBCHEM_SID, KEGG_ID, HMDBID, INCHI KEY, INCHI STRING, STATUS

• January, 2018

  PlantFA Database

  LIPID MAPS has recently incorporated several hundred plant fatty acid structures, including common names and other annotations from the PlantFA Database (https://plantfadb.org/) at Michigan State University. This resource provides updates and enhancements to the Seed Oil Fatty Acid (SOFA) database at the Max Rubner-Institute (http://sofa.mri.bund.de). The PlantFA Database contains data and references for hundreds of fatty acids synthesized by thousands of plants along with their phylogenetic relationships. Currently the LIPID MAPS Structure Database contains over 550 plant fatty acids with links to the corresponding PlantFA online source, for example Coniferonic acid with a PlantFA id of 10121.

• Deceember, 2017

  Lipidomics Services

  LIPID MAPS methodology and protocols are freely available in our Lipidomics methods and protocols sections. MS standards are available from Avanti Polar Lipids, Inc.

  Lipidomics analyses using these protocols and standards are available from the LIPID MAPS Lipidomics Core at UC San Diego and from Avanti on a fee for service basis.

• November, 2017

  The LIPID MAPS Structure Database (LMSD) is a relational database encompassing structures and annotations of biologically relevant lipids and includes representative examples from each category of the LIPID MAPS Lipid Classification System. LMSD is the largest public lipid-only database in the world, containing over 40,000 unique lipid structures. Entries include lipids from human, mouse, plants, bacteria, fungi, algae and marine organisms, and computationally generated structures (annotated as such).

• October, 2017

  The LIPID MAPS Structure Database (LMSD) is a relational database encompassing structures and annotations of biologically relevant lipids and includes representative examples from each category of the LIPID MAPS Lipid Classification System. LMSD is the largest public lipid-only database in the world, containing over 40,000 unique lipid structures. Entries include lipids from human, mouse, plants, bacteria, fungi, algae and marine organisms, and computationally generated structures (annotated as such).

• September, 2017

  LIPID MAPS Protocols - Protocols developed by the LIPID MAPS Consortium for equipment and supplies, procedures, and solutions. Procedure protocols include protocols for primary macrophages, treatment with Kdo2-Lipid A, treatment with 25-OHC, subcellular fractionation, extraction and analysis of various lipid categories, and more. Solution protocols include protocols for Kdo2-Lipid A, growth mediums for primary and cultured macrophages, stock solutions, standards, and more.

• August, 2017

  We are pleased to announce a collaboration with William (Bill) W. Christie, who has kindly agreed to share some of the valuable lipid resources from his website, 'The Lipid Web'. To that end, his blog, "Lipid Matters - A Personal Blog" is now available via the LIPID MAPS Lipidomics Gateway.

  The July 19th, 2017 entry begins:

  In the search for new antibiotics, lipopeptides appear to offer great potential if problems of toxicity can be overcome. Paenibacillus sp. have proved to be of special interest, and a new report describes a fresh isolate that produces novel cyclic and linear lipopeptides . . . more lipid matters

• July, 2017

  LIPID MAPS Structure Drawing Tools - Draw and save complex lipid structures using either a simple menu-based interface or by entering an abbreviation (where appropriate). Structures are rendered with Javascript / Ketcher and may be saved in a number of formats.

• Jun, 2017

  LIPID MAPS mass spectrometry combinatorial expansion package - The LIPID MAPS mass spectrometry combinatorial expansion package contains a set of PHP scripts to generate datasets contining species name, m/z and molecular formula for some of the main lipid categories: Glycerophospholipids (GP); Glycerolipids (GP); Cardiolipins (GP); Sphingolipids (SP). Generate a tabular output of lipid species containing the species abbreviation, nominal mass, exact mass (or m/z if charged), molecular formula, ion type (if specified) by a combinatorial expansion of a user-specified range of chain lengths and chain-length-to-double-bond restrictions. The output is printed to standard output (screen) but may conveniently be saved to a tab-delimited file.

• May, 2017

  Lipidomics Services - LIPID MAPS methodology and protocols are freely available in our Lipidomics methods and protocols sections. MS standards are available from Avanti Polar Lipids, Inc.

  Lipidomics analyses using these protocols and standards are available from the LIPID MAPS Lipidomics Core at UC San Diego and from Avanti on a fee for service basis.

• April, 2017

  LIPID MAPS Classification updates: The LIPID MAPS Classification system, comprised of eight lipid categories -- Fatty Acyls, Glycerolipids, Glycerophospholipids, Sphingolipids, Sterol Lipids, Prenol Lipids, Saccharolipids, and Polyketides, each with its own subclassification hierarchy -- now includes a new Polyketides class, "Phenolic lipids", with 5 subclasses; In addition, there are now 3 new subclasses of Octadecanoids; 3 new subclasses of Eicosanoids; and 7 new subclasses of Docosanoids.

• March, 2017

  LIPID MAPS REST service The LIPID MAPS REST service enables access to a variety of data (including lipid structures and lipid-related genes/proteins) using HTTP requests. These requests may be carried out using a web browser or may be embedded in 3rd party applications or scripts to enable programmatic access. Most modern programming languages including PHP, Perl, Python, Java and Javascript have the capability to create HTTP request and interact with datasets such as this REST service.

  Funding opportunity - The NBIA Disorders Association is accepting applications for one-year grants for related to the early detection, diagnosis, or treatment of patients with two forms of NBIA: Beta-propeller Protein-Associated Neurodegeneration (BPAN), and Fatty Acid Hydroxylase-associated Neurodegeneration (FAHN), caused by a mutation in the FA2H gene.

• February, 2017

  

  Keystone Symposia
  on Molecular and Cellular Biology:
  Lipidomics and Bioactive Lipids in Metabolism and Disease

  Feb 26 - Mar 2, 2017
  Tahoe City, California, USA

• January, 2017

  

  Keystone Symposia
  on Molecular and Cellular Biology:
  Lipidomics and Bioactive Lipids in Metabolism and Disease

  Feb 26 - Mar 2, 2017
  Tahoe City, California, USA

• December, 2016

  

  Keystone Symposia
  on Molecular and Cellular Biology:
  Lipidomics and Bioactive Lipids in Metabolism and Disease

  Feb 26 - Mar 2, 2017
  Tahoe City, California, USA

• November, 2016

  LIPID MAPS Proteome Database (LMPD) - The LIPID MAPS Proteome Database (LMPD) of lipid-related genes and proteins contains data for over 8,500 genes and over 12,500 proteins from Homo sapiens, Mus musculus, Rattus norvegicus, Saccharomyces cerevisiae, Caenorhabditis elegans, Escherichia coli, Macaca mulata, Drosophila melanogaster, Arabidopsis thaliana and Danio rerio.

• October, 2016

  LIPID MAPS Proteome Database (LMPD) - The LIPID MAPS Proteome Database (LMPD) of lipid-related genes and proteins contains data for over 8,500 genes and over 12,500 proteins from Homo sapiens, Mus musculus, Rattus norvegicus, Saccharomyces cerevisiae, Caenorhabditis elegans, Escherichia coli, Macaca mulata, Drosophila melanogaster, Arabidopsis thaliana and Danio rerio.

• September, 2016

  LIPID MAPS Proteome Database (LMPD) - The LIPID MAPS Proteome Database (LMPD) of lipid-related genes and proteins contains data for over 8,500 genes and over 12,500 proteins from Homo sapiens, Mus musculus, Rattus norvegicus, Saccharomyces cerevisiae, Caenorhabditis elegans, Escherichia coli, Macaca mulata, Drosophila melanogaster, Arabidopsis thaliana and Danio rerio.

• August, 2016

  MS Analysis Tools - Perform searches with precursor ion or product ion peaklists on a variety of lipid classes, where structures are generated by computational methods or are present in the LIPID MAPS structure database. Display various structural properties (exact mass, formula, abbreviation, etc.) for matched ions with links to molecular structures and isotopic distribution profiles where appropriate. Generate in-silico product ion peaklists for glycosphingolipids.

• July, 2016

  Structure Drawing Tools - Draw and save complex lipid structures using either a simple menu-based interface or by entering an abbreviation (where appropriate). Structures are rendered using Javascript / Ketcher and may be saved in a number of formats.

• June, 2016

  LIPID MAPS lipid standards - MS/MS spectra and more for over 500 lipid standards used by the LIPID MAPS Consortium, searchable by lipid category

• May, 2016

  
  LIPID MAPS_® Annual Meeting 2016: Lipidomics Impact on Metabolic, Cancer, Cardiovascular and Inflammatory Diseases

  Poster abstracts (.pdf) are now available!

• April, 2016

  
  LIPID MAPS_® Annual Meeting 2016: Lipidomics Impact on Metabolic, Cancer, Cardiovascular and Inflammatory Diseases

  Important dates

  April 01, 2016 - Early registration deadline
  March 25, 2016 - Poster abstract deadline
  April 10, 2016 - Hotel reservation deadline
  April 28, 2016 - Registration cancellation deadline
  May 17-18, 2016 - Meeting dates

• March, 2016

  
  LIPID MAPS_® Annual Meeting 2016: Lipidomics Impact on Metabolic, Cancer, Cardiovascular and Inflammatory Diseases

  Important dates

  April 01, 2016 - Early registration deadline
  March 25, 2016 - Poster abstract deadline
  April 10, 2016 - Hotel reservation deadline
  April 28, 2016 - Registration cancellation deadline
  May 17-18, 2016 - Meeting dates

• February, 2016

  LIPID MAPS_® Annual Meeting 2016: Lipidomics Impact on Metabolic, Cancer, Cardiovascular and Inflammatory Diseases - Register now to ensure your spot!
  
  Early Registration deadline: March 25, 2016

• January, 2016

  Key Lipidomics Publications - View a growing list of key publications from members of the LIPID MAPS Consortium and other lipidomics researchers.

  LIPID MAPS_® Annual Meeting 2016: Lipidomics Impact on Metabolic, Cancer, Cardiovascular and Inflammatory Diseases - Register now to ensure your spot!

• December, 2015

  The LIPID MAPS_® Proteome Database (LMPD) of lipid-related genes and proteins contains data for over 8,500 genes and over 12,500 proteins from Homo sapiens, Mus musculus, Rattus norvegicus, Saccharomyces cerevisiae, Caenorhabditis elegans, Escherichia coli, Macaca mulata, Drosophila melanogaster, Arabidopsis thaliana and Danio rerio.

  LIPID MAPS_® Annual Meeting 2016: Lipidomics Impact on Metabolic, Cancer, Cardiovascular and Inflammatory Diseases - Register now to ensure your spot!

• November, 2015

  Lipid of the Month Archive - The LIPID MAPS Lipid of the Month Archive currently lists lipids highlighted from August, 2012 - present. For each lipid, the structure, lipid name, and a brief description are shown. Each lipid is linked to the corresponding entry in the LIPID MAPS Structure Database (LMSD), where LIPID MAPS Classification information, external database IDs, and other annotations may be viewed and downloaded.

  LIPID MAPS Annual Meeting 2016: Lipidomics Impact on Metabolic, Cancer, Cardiovascular and Inflammatory Diseases - See the updated list of speakers!

• October, 2015

  Search a virtual database of lipid classes or the LIPID MAPS structure database (LMSD) with a list of precursor ions. - A database composed of major classes of lipid species has been generated from a list of commonly occuring acyl/alkyl chains. Chain positions and double bond regiochemistry and geometry are not specified. Search the database by entering a list of precursor ion m/z values, selecting an appropriate ion type and mass tolerance range. Optionally restrict the search to certain lipid classes.

  LIPID MAPS Annual Meeting 2016: Lipidomics Impact on Metabolic, Cancer, Cardiovascular and Inflammatory Diseases - The meeting program is now available and registration is open!

• September, 2015

  LIPID MAPS Annual Meeting 2016: Lipidomics Impact on Metabolic, Cancer, Cardiovascular and Inflammatory Diseases

  The meeting program tentatively features the following sessions:

  - From Cancer Stem Cells to Fatty Liver Disease
  - Metabolomics
  - Metabolic Diseases
  - Eicosadomics and Inflammation
  - Cholesterolomics, Oxidized Lipids and Cardiovascular Disease
  - Lipid Mediators and Cancer

  Registration is Open!

• August, 2015

  LIPID MAPS Annual Meeting 2016: Lipidomics Impact on Metabolic, Cancer, Cardiovascular and Inflammatory Diseases - Registration is Open!

• July, 2015

  Save the date! LIPID MAPS Annual Meeting 2016: Lipidomics Impact on Metabolic, Cancer, Cardiovascular and Inflammatory Diseases will take place May 17-18, 2016 at Scripps Forum, UCSD, La Jolla, CA.

  See our LIPID MAPS Events Calendar for this and other events.

• June, 2015

  LIPID MAPS Events Calendar - Over two dozen events are currently listed in this comprehensive directory of meetings, conferences and other events of interest to lipid researchers. Please contact us if you know of an event that should be added to the list!

• May, 2015

  LIPID MAPS REST service The LIPID MAPS REST service enables access to a variety of data (including lipid structures and lipid-related genes/proteins) using HTTP requests. These requests may be carried out using a web browser or may be embedded in 3rd party applications or scripts to enable programmatic access. Most modern programming languages including PHP, Perl, Python, Java and Javascript have the capability to create HTTP request and interact with datasets such as this REST service.

  LIPID MAPS Annual Meeting 2015 - poster titles and abstracts (pdf) are now available for download. Just a few seats remain. Don't miss out on this exciting meeting!

• April, 2015

  LIPID MAPS Annual Meeting 2015 - Early registration was extended to April 3, 2015. Seats are filling up fast! Don't miss out on this exciting meeting!

• March, 2015

  LIPID MAPS Proteome Database (LMPD) - The LIPID MAPS Proteome Database (LMPD) of lipid-related genes and proteins contains data for over 8,500 genes and over 12,500 proteins from Homo sapiens, Mus musculus, Rattus norvegicus, Saccharomyces cerevisiae, Caenorhabditis elegans, Escherichia coli, Macaca mulata, Drosophila melanogaster, Arabidopsis thaliana and Danio rerio.

• February, 2015

  LIPID MAPS Protocols - Protocols developed by the LIPID MAPS Consortium for equipment and supplies, procedures, and solutions. Procedure protocols include protocols for primary macrophages, treatment with Kdo₂-Lipid A, treatment with 25-OHC, subcellular fractionation, extraction and analysis of various lipid categories, and more. Solution protocols include protocols for Kdo₂-Lipid A, growth mediums for primary and cultured macrophages, stock solutions, standards, and more.

• January, 2015

  LIPID MAPS Annual Meeting 2015: Lipidomics Impact on Cancer, Metabolic, and Inflammatory Diseases (12th annual meeting) - May 12-13, 2015, La Jolla, CA.

  The meeting program tentatively features the following sessions:
  
  - Metabolomics
  - Lipidomics of Cancer
  - Lipidomics and Metabolic Disease
  - Eicosanoids and the Inflammatory Response
  - Lipid Interactions with Membrane Proteins
  - Lipids and Immunity

• December, 2014

  LIPID MAPS Annual Meeting 2015: Lipidomics Impact on Cancer, Metabolic, and Inflammatory Diseases (12th annual meeting) - May 12-13, 2015, La Jolla, CA.

  The meeting program tentatively features the following sessions:
  
  - Metabolomics
  - Lipidomics of Cancer
  - Lipidomics and Metabolic Disease
  - Eicosanoids and the Inflammatory Response
  - Lipid Interactions with Membrane Proteins
  - Lipids and Immunity

• November, 2014

  • LIPID MAPS Lipidomics Update - The LIPID MAPS Lipidomics Update inlcudes our Events Calendar, Research Library, LIPID MAPS Highlights, and a Lipid of the Month. We also highlight two selected events and two selected research articles.

• October, 2014

  • Lipidomics studies on NIDDK / NIST human plasma samples The National Institute of Diabetes and Digestive and Kidney Diseases (NIDDK) in collaboration with the National Institute of Standards (NIST) produced a human plasma standard reference material (SRM 1950) for metabolite analysis. The LIPID MAPS Consortium has analyzed this SRM by systematically identifying and quantifying the lipid molecular species in the six main categories of mammalian lipids. The quantitative levels of over 500 different lipids present in this reference human plasma sample are presented.

• September, 2014

  • Subcellular fractionation studies on macrophages Measurements of lipid quanitities present in various cell fractions (cytoplasm, ER, mitochondria, nucleus, plasma membrane) for control and treatment with Kdo2-Lipid A. Experiments were conducted with RAW264.7 cells.

• August, 2014

  • LIPID MAPS Downloads - We provide downloads of
    - LIPID MAPS Structure Database (LMSD)
    - LIPID MAPS Proteome Database (LMPD)
    - Pathway Editor software
    - Tools for generation of SD files, predicting possible molecular species for a given MS ion, and generation of ontology data using structure data in SD file(s).
    - Protocols for equipment and supplies, lipidomics procedures, and solutions
    - Posters authored by LIPID MAPS consortium members

• July, 2014

  • LIPID MAPS Mass Spectrometry Combinatorial Expansion Package - A set of command line PHP scripts to generate tabular datasets contining species name, m/z and molecular formula for some of the main lipid categories. User-defined options include a range of chain-lengths and a choice of poitive and negative ion-types. The generated MS datasets may then be used as databases or references to aid in identification and assignment of ions in mass spectrometry experiments of lipids. The current version supports Glycerolipids (GL), Glycerophospholipids (GP), Cardiolipins (CL) and Sphingolipids (SP).

• June, 2014

  • LIPID MAPS Tools - Perform searches with precursor ion or product ion peaklists on a variety of lipid classes, where structures are generated by computational methods or are present in the LIPID MAPS structure database. Display various structural properties (exact mass, formula, abbreviation, etc.) for matched ions with links to molecular structures and isotopic distribution profiles where appropriate. Generate in-silico product ion peaklists for glycosphingolipids.

• May, 2014

  • LIPID MAPS Protocols - Protocols developed by the LIPID MAPS Consortium for equipment and supplies, procedures, and solutions. Procedure protocols include protocols for primary macrophages, treatment with Kdo₂-Lipid A, treatment with 25-OHC, subcellular fractionation, extraction and analysis of various lipid categories, and more. Solution protocols include protocols for Kdo₂-Lipid A, growth mediums for primary and cultured macrophages, stock solutions, standards, and more.

• March, 2014

  LIPID MAPS Annual Meeting 2014: Lipidomics Impact on Cell Biology, Inflammation and Metabolic Disease Registration is open for this exciting meeting with limited seats! Early registration deadline extended to March 23, 2014.

• December, 2013

  LIPID MAPS Annual Meeting 2014: Lipidomics Impact on Cell Biology, Inflammation and Metabolic Disease Registration is now open for this exciting meeting with limited seats!

• November, 2013

  LIPID MAPS Annual Meeting 2014: Lipidomics Impact on Cell Biology, Inflammation and Metabolic Disease Registration is now open for this exciting meeting with limited seats!

• October, 2013

  Command Line Access to LIPID MAPS Structure Database (LMSD)
  We provide support for command line data retrieval as CSV, TSV, and SDF files for any search type that can be performed via a web browser. Options are available to control display of column headers, types of delimiters for CSV files (comma or semicolon), and double quoting of values.

• September, 2013

  Command Line Access to LIPID MAPS Structure Database (LMSD)
  We provide support for command line data retrieval as CSV, TSV, and SDF files for any search type that can be performed via a web browser. Options are available to control display of column headers, types of delimiters for CSV files (comma or semicolon), and double quoting of values.

• August, 2013

  Command Line Access to LIPID MAPS Structure Database (LMSD)
  We provide support for command line data retrieval as CSV, TSV, and SDF files for any search type that can be performed via a web browser. Options are available to control display of column headers, types of delimiters for CSV files (comma or semicolon), and double quoting of values.

• July, 2013

  LIPID MAPS pathway maps shown with lipid and gene measurements from LIPID MAPS experiments using RAW 264.7 cells, thioglycolate-elicited peritoneal macrophages, and bone marrow-derived macrophages.

• June, 2013

  MS Tools - option to input peaklist as file - You may now upload a peaklist (.pkl) file for processing with our GP MS/MS predicition and GL MS/MS prediction tools.

• May, 2013

  • Key Publications expanded to include non-LIPID MAPS works. Key lipidomics publications include those from early in the lipidomics era, as well as more recent papers that have been highly accessed. These publications describe key technologies, methodologies, the emergence of the field, and more.

  Lipidomics Technologies at the End of the First Decade and the Beginning of the Next - Presentations from this workshop presented by LIPID MAPS at EB 2013 under the co-sponsorship of the American Society for Nutrition, April 23, 2013, Boston Convention Center, are now available for viewing/download.

• April, 2013

  • LIPID MAPS Workshop at EB 2013 - Lipidomics Technologies at the End of the First Decade and the Beginning of the Next: Where are we now, and what are the future prospects? Offered in conjunction with the American Society for Nutrition.
    8:00 to 10:00 am, April 23, 2013.
    Boston Convention Center Room 151 AB - The Education Track Room.

• March, 2013

  • LIPID MAPS Protocols - Protocols developed by the LIPID MAPS Consortium for equipment and supplies, procedures, and solutions. Procedure protocols include protocols for primary macrophages, treatment with Kdo₂-Lipid A, treatment with 25-OHC, subcellular fractionation, extraction and analysis of various lipid categories, and more. Solution protocols include protocols for Kdo₂-Lipid A, growth mediums for primary and cultured macrophages, stock solutions, standards, and more.

    LIPID MAPS Workshop at EB 2013 - Lipidomics Technologies at the End of the First Decade and the Beginning of the Next: Where are we now, and what are the future prospects? - 8:00 to 10:00 am, April 23, 2013. Boston Convention Center Room 151 AB - The Education Track Room. Offered in conjunction with the American Society for Nutrition.

• February, 2013

  • LIPID MAPS Mass Spectrometry Prediction Tools - The Mass spectrometry peak prediction tools enable a user to search computationally generated databases of structures based on commonly occurring core structures and chains with a list of m/z values (ions). Examples of such databases are those derived from acyl/alkyl chain permutations for glycerolipids and glycerophospholipids. Alternatively, one may search sets of known lipids in a structure database with a list of m/z values (e.g. fatty acyls in the LIPID MAPS database). The user is presented with a number of option for refining the search, including mass tolerance window, headgroup (in the case of glycerophospholipids or sphingolipids), ion type and intensity threshold, and more.

• January, 2013

  LIPID MAPS Structure Database (LMSD) downloads updated. LMSD now has over 37,000 entries, and may be downloaded as a Structure Data File (SDF) or as tab- or comma-separated values (.tsv, .csv) files with or without structure data. A status field has been added to all download files to denote computationally generated lipids. Other annotations include: LM_ID, COMMON_NAME, CATEGORY, MAIN_CLASS, SUB_CLASS, CHEBI_ID, INCHI_KEY, LIPID_MAPS_CMPD_URL, PUBCHEM_SUBSTANCE_URL, SYSTEMATIC_NAME, SYNONYMS, EXACT_MASS, FORMULA, LIPIDBANK_ID, PUBCHEM_SID, KEGG_ID, HMDBID

• December, 2012

  • LIPID MAPS Annual Meeting 2013: Impact of Lipidomics on Oxidized Lipids and Non-Alcoholic Fatty Liver Disease - Registration is now open for this exciting meeting with limited seats!

• November, 2012

  • LIPID MAPS Tools Package - Command line Perl scripts to generate SD files containing structure and ontological data for various lipid categories. The current version supports structure generation for Fatty acyls (FA), Glycerolipids (GL), Glycerophospholipids (GP), Cardiolipins (CL), Sphingolipids (SP) and Sterols (ST).

• October, 2012

  • Pathway Editor - The Pathway Editor is a program for managing, visualizing, and editing signaling and metabolic pathways. Pathways may be created from scratch, accessed by opening a .path file, or downloaded from the LIPID MAPS website via the Pathway Editor application. Time course graphs for both lipids and genes, and data for technical and biological replicates for lipids can be displayed within the Pathway Editor. Recent updates to the Pathway Editor code enable users to view pathways with their associated data much more quickly than previously.

• September, 2012

  • Tutorials: Lipidomics methods - Links to special issues of Chemical Reviews and BBA - Molecular Cellular Biology of Lipids; LIPID MAPS Methods in Enzymology chapters (free); procedures for lipid analysis of various lipid classes.

  • Mycobacterium tuberculosis lipid MS analysis (based on a database of computationally generated ions) - This prediction tool uses data corresponding to over 2,500 precursor ions indentified by LC/MS lipid profiling.

• August, 2012

  • The Lipidomics Gateway has now reverted to its permanent format as the LIPID MAPS Lipidomics Gateway. The LIPID MAPS Consortium warmly thanks its partner, Nature Publishing Group (NPG), for providing editorial content and raising public awareness about the emerging field of lipidomics which were extremely valuable contributions to the Gateway over the last three years. The Gateway will continue to serve the research community as a free resource sponsored by the National Institute of General Medical Sciences.

• July, 2012

  • The LIPID MAPS Structure Database (LMSD) is a relational database encompassing structures and annotations of biologically relevant lipids and includes representative examples from each category of the LIPID MAPS Lipid Classification System. LMSD is the largest public lipid-only database in the world, containing over 37,000 unique lipid structures. Entries include lipids from human, mouse, plants, bacteria, fungi, algae and marine organisms, and computationally generated structures (annotated as such).

• June, 2012

  • LIPID MAPS Lipid Classification System - The LIPID MAPS Lipid Classification System is comprised of eight lipid categories — Fatty Acyls, Glycerolipids, Glycerophospholipids, Sphingolipids, Sterol Lipids, Prenol Lipids, Saccharolipids, and Polyketides — each with its own sublassification hierarchy. Each lipid in the LIPID MAPS Structure Database (LMSD) has been classified using this system and assigned a LIPID MAPS ID (LM_ID) which reflects its position in the classification hierarchy.

• May, 2012

  • Author recommendations and tools: Lipid classification, nomenclature and structure drawing - detailed instructions for describing and drawing your lipid according to LIPID MAPS guidelines

  • LIPID MAPS lipid standards - MS/MS spectra and more for over 500 lipid standards used by the LIPID MAPS Consortium, searchable by lipid category

• April, 2012

  • Workshop on LIPID MAPS Bioinformatics Resources - This workshop, to be presented April 22 during the 2012 ASBMB Annual Meeting, should be of interest to lipidomics researchers and bioinformaticists.

  • LIPID MAPS Pathway Editor tutorial - Learn how to use recently added features, including enhancements to facilitate mapping your own gene expression and lipidomics data to pathways.

• March, 2012

  • Macrophages, Inflammation, and Insulin Resistance. Olefsky, J, Glass, C, Annual Review of Physiology 72, 219-246 (2010) - Annual Reviews' 10th most downloaded article of 2011.

  • Lipid Structures Application from ScienceDirect identifies lipids in online articles and provides links to LIPID MAPS annotations. SciVerse invites you to evaluate this beta version and provide feedback.

• February, 2012

  • LIPID MAPS Annual Meeting 2012 - Early registration ends Friday, March 9, 2012. Last year's meeting reached capacity before the early registration deadline!

  • LIPID MAPS Structure Database (LMSD) downloads - Download LMSD as a Structure Data File (SDF) or as tab- or comma-separated values (.tsv, .csv) files with or without structure data.