tadamz

tadamz is a specialized Python package for targeted LC-MS(/MS) (Liquid Chromatography-Mass Spectrometry) data analysis, built on top of the emzed3 mass spectrometry framework.

Developed at ETH Zurich (Institute of Microbiology), tadamz provides a robust, modular, and highly configurable pipeline to extract, classify, normalize, calibrate, and quantify targeted compounds from MS1, MS/MS, or SRM chromatograms.

🚀 Key Features

• 📊 Peak Extraction & Integration: High-performance chromatography integration, baseline subtraction (via pybaselines), and extraction of chromatogram peaks based on targeted precursor $m/z$ and retention times.
• 🤖 Peak Classification: Integrates a Random Forest classifier (scikit-learn) to score peak quality (peak_quality_score), filtering out noise or false positives based on peak metrics (symmetry, FWHM, peak-to-noise ratio, etc.).
• 🔄 RT Adaptation & Co-elution Alignment: Corrects and adapts target retention times dynamically across batches and alignments using reference co-eluting compound peaks.
• ⚖️ Calibration & Absolute Quantification: Fits weighted (e.g., $1/x$, $1/x^2$, $1/s^2$) linear or quadratic calibration models to calibrant tables to achieve accurate absolute concentration calculations.
• 📉 Normalization Options: Includes sample-wise normalization, standard-free normalization, and natural abundance/isotopologue overlay correction for stable isotope labeling experiments.
• 📝 Automated Report Generation: Automatically generates comprehensive PDF reports featuring global abundance heatmaps and compound-wise acquisition-order trends (for retention times, FWHM, and abundance).
• 💻 Interactive emzed GUI Integration: Built-in tools for interactive table exploration, manual peak scoring, and data visualization via emzed-spyder.

📦 Installation

tadamz requires Python >= 3.11 and the core emzed framework.

You can install tadamz directly via pip from the repository:

pip install git+https://gitlab.com/emzed3_extensions/targeted.git

This will automatically install dependencies, including:

• emzed >= 3.0.2
• pyyaml, uncertainties, pybaselines == 1.1.0
• numpy >= 2, seaborn, sklearn-migrator >= 0.22.1

🛠️ Getting Started

1. Configuration (YAML)

tadamz workflows are driven by configuration dictionaries, typically stored as YAML files:

extract_peaks:
  integration_algorithm: linear
  ms_data_type: MS_Chromatogram
  mz_tol_abs: 0.3
  peak_search_window_size: 60
  subtract_baseline: true

classify_peaks:
  scoring_model: random_forest_classification
  scoring_model_params:
    classifier_name: srm_peak_classifier

normalize_peaks:
  sample_wise: true
  correct_int_std_for_nat_abundance: false

processing_steps:
  - extract_peaks
  - classify_peaks

postprocessings:
  - postprocessing1
  - postprocessing2

postprocessing1:
  - classify_peaks
  - coeluting_peaks
  - normalize_peaks

2. Workflow Execution

Load targets, samples, and config, and execute the pipeline:

from tadamz import run_workflow, postprocess_result_table, load_config
from tadamz.in_out import load_targets_table, load_samples_from_folder

# Load inputs
config = load_config("path/to/config.yaml")
targets_table = load_targets_table("path/to/targets_table.xlsx")
samples = load_samples_from_folder("path/to/raw_data_folder")

# Run main workflow
result = run_workflow(targets_table, samples, config)

# Post-process (e.g., RT coelution alignment & peak normalization)
result = postprocess_result_table(result, config, postprocess_id=0)

🤖 Training a custom Peak Classifier

Train custom peak classifiers for your targeted assays using manually scored peaks:

from tadamz import generate_peak_classifier

generate_peak_classifier(
    classifier_name="my_custom_srm_classifier",
    path_to_folder="path/to/save/classifier",
    path_to_table="path/to/measured_peaks.table",
    ms_data_type="MS_Chromatogram",
    inspect=True, # Opens interactive GUI for manual scoring
)

📊 Generating Reports

tadamz can create comprehensive PDF reports of your targeted analysis:

from tadamz.generate_report import generate_report

# Generate global, compound-wise, and calibration report figures. Calibration
# plots are derived from the calibration_model column in result_table.
global_plots, compound_plots, calibration_plots = generate_report(
    result_table,
    pdf_folder="path/to/output_folder",
)

# Calibration plots are grouped by compound, then plot name.
curve = calibration_plots["compound_name"]["calibration_curves"]

📂 Project Structure

tadamz/
├── src/
│   └── tadamz/                  # Main package source code
│       ├── calibration/         # Regression models & absolute calibration curve fitting
│       ├── data/                # Default configuration files & sample datasets
│       ├── scoring/             # Peak quality metrics & Random Forest classifiers
│       ├── in_out.py            # IO helpers for tables, YAML, JSON, and PKL files
│       ├── workflow.py          # Main workflow definition and runner functions
│       └── generate_report.py   # PDF report generator using matplotlib and seaborn
├── tests/                       # Unit tests & regression tests (run via pytest)
├── setup.cfg                    # Metadata, classifiers, and project dependencies
└── pyproject.toml               # Build system configuration

📄 License & Credits

• Author: Patrick Kiefer (pkiefer@ethz.ch)
• Organization: Institute of Microbiology, ETH Zurich
• License: MIT License