Metaproteomics initiative

The Metaproteomics Initiative promotes dissemination of metaproteomics fundamentals, advancements, and applications through collaborative networking in microbiome research. We aim to be the central information hub and open meeting place where newcomers and experts interact to communicate, standardize and accelerate experimental and bioinformatic methodologies in this field. This will be achieved initially through the website (www.metaproteomics.org), newsletters, presentations, online communication channel, collaborative projects, and symposia. More information can be found in our commentary article in Microbiome and the official website of the Metaproteomics Initiative. 

Our current lines of work:

The Metaproteomics Initiative's ongoing efforts are organized around three pillars that help us realize our mission: Communication & Collaboration, Education & Outreach, and Standardization.

(1) Communication & Collaboration

• We organize the International Metaproteomics Symposium (IMS) every 1 to 1.5 years as a central meeting point for the community. The next edition will take place in Dessau-Rosslau, Germany, from 22 to 24 June 2026. More information about past symposia can be found here.

• We coordinate multi-lab, community-driven benchmarking studies, known as the CAMPI studies, bringing together international researchers to evaluate workflows and methods in metaproteomics. CAMPI-1 study was published in 2021 in Nature Communications, and CAMPI-2 is already available as a preprint. More information about these, ongoing and future CAMPI studies can be found here. 

(2) Education & Outreach

• We developed "The Microbiologist’s Guide to Metaproteomics" to lower the barrier for microbiome researchers to enter the metaproteomics field (published in iMeta)

• We organize workshops at major conferences such as ASMS, and help promote independently organized in-person or online events. If you are planning a workshop and would like support or visibility, feel free to contact us at info@metaproteomics.org. 

• We collect metaproteomics tutorials and webinars on our website to educate researchers starting in the field. 

• We also provide regular updates through our community newsletter, which features events, publications, and recent achievements. Click here to explore our previous newsletters. 

(3) Standardization

• We promote FAIR data practices by recommending standards that improve reproducibility, interpretability, and cross-study integration in metaproteomics, including our own created reporting checklist 

• We are developing dedicated SDRF-Proteomics templates for metaproteomics environments, in collaboration with HUPO-PSI and the Genomics Standards Consortium.