Lipidomics

Lipids do far more than store energy: they relay signals inside cells, and when their balance goes wrong they can contribute to disease. This collection, Lipidomics: Methods and Protocols, gathers contributions from an international group of specialists, mixing previously reviewed work with material appearing here for the first time. Its chapters cover how lipids are isolated and structurally analyzed, how they form lipid rafts, how they move within cells and are profiled, their use as biomarkers, and how they undergo peroxidation. The volume also addresses biostatistics, software, and bioinformatics as applied to lipids.

The research described spans simple organisms such as yeast through to complex biological models. The samples examined include mitochondria, microsomes, endosomal membranes, red blood cell and plasma membranes, vesicles, caveolae, liposomes, macrophages, meibum, brain, microglia, retina, adipose tissue, keratinocytes, pulmonary surfactant, and cultured liver cells. This second volume concentrates on oxidized lipids, trafficking and profiling, software, bioinformatics, and biostatistics.

Each chapter opens with an introduction to its topic, then lists the equipment and materials needed before presenting detailed laboratory protocols that can be repeated. Notes on troubleshooting and common pitfalls accompany the methods. The book is aimed at researchers who want to apply lipidomics more fully, with the editors hoping it will support better technology, improved diagnostic and prognostic tools, and the discovery of new useful products.