The objective of the course is learning the basics of using mass spectrometry-based metabolomics for answering biological questions. The participants will learn about different types of research projects (hypothesis-driven vs. exploratory) and possible experimental strategies. Mass spectrometry (MS) technology and data formats will be introduced, as well as possibilities to convert and pre-process raw MS data. Different open-source software tools will be presented, which allow the inspection of MS data files and the creation of metabolomics workflows, from raw data to metabolic pathways. In a final project, the students will apply their knowledge in the analysis of a real-life plant metabolomics data set.