Uncertainty of Measurement in Quantitative Metabolomics

Nowadays in metabolomics many different Mass Spectrometry (MS) based platforms are employed worldwide to perform targeted and untargeted studies in both profiling and qualitative contexts. The International organization for Standardization (ISO) is continuously demanding and/or producing Quality Assurance (QA) tool to screen and validate the huge data flow produced in the last years. This work is proposing an introductive example of validation of a MS‐based metabolic profiling experiment via measurement uncertainty assessment according the third edition of the Eurachem/CITAC guide for Measurement Uncertainty, “Quantifying uncertainty in analytical measurement”. The chapter offers both an introduction to the measurement uncertainty topic and an inside look atits application to different sample preparation protocols and MS‐based analytical platforms. In conclusion a practical example of measurement uncertainty applied to the quantification of central carbon metabolism compound via MS is illustrated in order to perform a close examination of the topic and highlight the critical step that have to be carefully validated during MS‐based profiling analysis.