The Core for Life Bioinformatics and Scientific Computing Group (including LIMS) aims to: 

1. Exchange BioIT training material on a common platform to complement live training material
2. Evaluate software-related sharing platforms like Galaxy for e.g. mapping tools
3. Exchange best practices for the implementation of Laboratory Information Management Systems

The proteomics platforms of the Core for Life facilities are different in terms of capacity, offered services, workflows and organization. The aim of this Work Group is to document this diversity and to identify shared interests and complementing services with the goal to promote information exchange. Current initiatives focus on proteomics quality control and benchmarking activities. Yearly Work Group meetings, individual visits at the respective core facilities as well as bilateral contacts serve to organize activities and information exchange. 

The Core for Life Genomics Work Group is an association of 7 European genomics core facilities that provide expert support in genomics, transcriptomics and bioinformatics. Our aims are to provide networking opportunities for our core staff members, to share experiences and challenges, to promote advanced knowledge sharing and transfer, and to enable capacity sharing when necessary.

The aims of the Flow Cytometry Working Group are to exchange expertise and discuss the latest technological advances with respect to flow cytometry and fluorescence activated cell sorting (FACS).   Flow Cytometry is integral to downstream OMICS pipelines and the group is dedicated to establishing best practices to ensure qualitative and quantitative single cell data.  In its inaugural meeting in 2018, the group established a benchmarking project comparing the performance of spectral to polychromatic flow cytometry.  Future discussions will include advancements in mass and imaging mass cytometry (CyToF and IMC) and the recent advent of "Ghost" cytometry.

The Light & Electron Microscopy and FACS Work Group aims to share experience and knowledge between the members and to team up with experts in specific fields to increase overall know-how and expertise. As a first action, all members agreed to offer the exchange of personnel between facilities to receive specific training if needed. Also it is planned to organize Mini Symposia on specific topics to meet and discuss with experts in this particular field in a small-scale setting.

Metabolomics (discovery and targeted) focuses on the systematic study of metabolites within biological systems with the aim to comprehensively identify, quantify, and analyze these metabolites in various biological samples, such as tissues, cells, or bodily fluids. Recent developments in spatial metabolomics, a cutting-edge analytical approach that combines traditional metabolomics techniques with spatial information, allows mapping and visualizing the distribution of metabolites within biological tissues, cells, or other spatially organized samples. Yet, the metabolomics field still faces many challenges to overcome for obtaining accurate and meaningful results (e.g. metabolite identification, data complexity, metabolite coverage and integration with other Omics Data). Within the C4L Workgroup we aim to create a network of international experts in the field to discuss and evaluate many of those challenges, but also with a focus on how we can introduce new developments into core facilities to accelerate scientific research.  

Scientific projects focused on single cell analysis require multiple complementary expertise and transversal support by different core facilities. The Single Cell Task Force of Core for Life aims at bringing together experts from core facilities involved in single cell phenotyping and molecular profiling, to share knowledge and experience and foster networking within the community. Tackling the challenge of rapidly evolving technologies and pipelines, as well as inter-institutional benchmarking of the most advanced analytical solutions in the field of single cell multi-omics are some of the Core for Life Single Cell Task Force’s major goals.