ume

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ume

Getting Started with UltraMassExplorer

Boris Koch

2025-12-08

UltraMassExplorer (ume) is a package that uses exact molecular masses (derived from high-resolution mass spectrometry) to assign molecular formulas. UME provides tools to evaluate and visualize results (details described in Leefmann et al. 2019). UME is also available as a graphical user interface via a UME R Shiny App.

Getting started

The peaklist (pl) is the main UME entry point.

Your peak list can be a data.frame / data.table or text-files (txt, csv, tsv). as_peaklist() checks and imports your source file.

pl <- as_peaklist("your_path_to.csv")

For quick-starting the UME demo peak list (ume::peaklist_demo) can be used.

Molecular formula assignment is based on the molecular formula library (formula_library). Two ready-to-use libraries can be downloaded from Zenodo:

# lib <- download_library("lib_02.rds")
# lib <- download_library("lib_05.rds")

For quick-starting the demo library (ume::lib_demo) can be used.

1. Overview UME data workflow

Analyse the input format of the peak list.
Calculate neutral masses.
Assign molecular formulas (based on a pre-defined formula library).
Evaluate stable isotope information.
Add information on existing knowledge of molecular formulas.
Calculate evaluation parameters (e.g. DBE, nominal mass, KMD, etc.).
A posteriori formula filtering.
Normalize peak magnitudes.
Set the order of columns in the results.

All of these tasks can be executed in just two steps:

Formula assignment and calculation of evaluation parameters

mfd <- ume_assign_formulas(pl = peaklist_demo, formula_library = lib,
    pol = "neg", ma_dev = 0.5, remove_isotopes = T)

Formula filtering (subsetting) and normalization

mfd_filt <- ume_filter_formulas(mfd = mfd, remove_isotopes = TRUE,
    normalization = "bp", norm_int_min = 0.5, blank_file_ids = 1,
    blank_prevalence = 0.5, dbe_o_max = 10, oc_min = 0.2, oc_max = 1.2,
    c_iso_check = TRUE, dbe_max = 30, p_min = 0, p_max = 0, mz_min = 150,
    mz_max = 650)

Alternatively, the workflow can be performed in single steps:

# Step 1: Assign formulas (checks the peaklist format and
# calculates neutral masses and mass accuracy)
# calc_neutral_mass() and calc_ma_abs()
mfd <- assign_formulas(pl = ume::peaklist_demo, formula_library = ume::lib_demo,
    pol = "neg", ma_dev = 0.5, verbose = TRUE)

# Step 2: Verify the existence of the major isotope signals
# and their magnitudes
mfd <- eval_isotopes(mfd = mfd, remove_isotopes = TRUE, verbose = TRUE)

# Step 3: Calculate evaluation parameters
mfd <- calc_eval_params(mfd = mfd, verbose = TRUE)

# Step 4: Add known classification for formulas to do: the
# categories should be listed in one column containing the
# category assignment
mfd <- add_known_mf(mfd = mfd)

# Step 5: Remove all formulas that occur in one or more
# blank analyses The demo peaklist contains one blank
# spectrum named 'Blank' (file_id = 1) This removes all
# molecular formulas recorded in the blank from the entire
# dataset
mfd <- remove_blanks(mfd = mfd, blank_file_ids = 1, blank_prevalence = 0)

# Step 6: Filter formula table according to evaluation
# parameters (generated in step 3)
mfd_filt <- filter_mf_data(mfd = mfd, select_file_ids = 2:5,
    dbe_o_max = 10, oc_min = 0.2, oc_max = 1.2, verbose = TRUE)

# Step 7: Normalize intensities
mfd_filt <- calc_norm_int(mfd = mfd_filt, normalization = "bp",
    verbose = TRUE)

# Step 8: Filter by (relative) peak magnitude (in this
# case: >= 5 percent base peak intensity)
mfd_filt <- filter_int(mfd = mfd_filt, norm_int_min = 0.5, verbose = TRUE)

# Step 9: Normalize intensities
mfd_filt <- calc_norm_int(mfd = mfd_filt, normalization = "bp",
    verbose = TRUE)

# Step 10: Order the columns of the results table
mfd_filt <- order_columns(mfd = mfd_filt)

2. Visualization and statistics

(documentation to be expanded)

# Mass spectrum
uplot_ms(pl = ume::peaklist_demo, label = "file")

# Summary statistics
calc_data_summary(mfd = ume::mf_data_demo)

# Mass accuracy
uplot_freq_ma(mfd = ume::mf_data_demo)

# Element frequency
uplot_freq(mfd = ume::mf_data_demo, var = "14N")

# van Krevelen
uplot_vk(mfd = ume::mf_data_demo, size_dots = 3)

# Precision isotope abundance:
uplot_isotope_precision(mfd = ume::mf_data_demo, z_var = "nsp_tot",
    tf = F)

3. Re-calibration of peaklists

Automated calibration can be performed with existing calibration lists stored in ume::known_mf. The function “ume::calc_recalibrate_ms” assigns calibrants to the peak list and analyses the mass accuracy. Three outlier tests are performed and only those assigned calibrants that pass all three tests are used for recalibration. The recalibration is based on a linear model. The function output is a list object that contains a summary on calibrants and figures that compare the calibration status before and after recalibration. For example:

output_recal <- calc_recalibrate_ms(pl = peaklist_demo[file !=
    "Blank"], calibr_list = "marine_dom", pol = "neg", min_no_calibrants = 3,
    ma_dev = 1, formula_library = lib_demo)

summary(output_recal)
output_recal$cal_stats  # summary statistics for each file_id in peaklist

# Result plots
output_recal$fig_box_before
output_recal$fig_box_after
output_recal$fig_hist_before
output_recal$fig_hist_after

# The re-calibrated peaklist is available via
output_recal$pl

# It can directly be used to start a new formula assignment
# process (see above):
mfd_recal <- ume::ume_assign_formulas(pl = output_recal$pl, formula_library = ume::lib_demo,
    pol = "neg", ma_dev = 1)

# Automated mass accuracy sub-setting can be obtained using
# the column 'ppm_filt'.  It is based on the quantiles
# 97.5% and 2.5% of all CHO formulas assigned.

mfd_recal <- mfd_recal[abs(ppm) <= ppm_filt]

uplot_freq_ma(mfd_recal)

4. UME core data objects

Mass Peak List

The mass calibrated peak list is the core of the ume work flow. The peak list (pl) is a table (as R data.table) that contains information from one or several mass spectrometric analyses:

Analytical data:
- Mass over charge value (mz)
- Mass peak magnitude (i_magnitude)
- Mass resolution (res)
- Signal to noise ration (s_n)
Metadata:
- Unique identifier for each mass spectrum (file; data type: character)
- An optional unique identifier for each mass spectrum (file_id; data type: integer). If file_id is not present, the first call of the peaklist will add a file_id column based on the unique entries in file.
- Unique identifier for each mass peak (peak_id; data type: integer). If peak_id is not present, the first call of the peaklist table will add a unique identifier for each row (= mz) in the peaklist.

The package contains an example peak list:

ume::peaklist_demo[1:3]

Column names are explained here:

?ume::peaklist_demo

file_id	file	peak_id	mz	i_magnitude	s_n	res
1	Blank	23503862	200.09535	1711009	5.4	761606
1	Blank	23503863	200.11243	1533741	4.6	678315
1	Blank	23503864	200.11646	1735087	5.5	953755

Isotopic masses

All calculated molecular masses in ume are based on the NIST data and available as a data ressource in the package (masses.rda).

Isotope information of all elements:

ume::masses[]

Column names are explained here:

?ume::masses

Table continues below
label	symbol	nm	exact_mass	mole_fraction	relative_abundance
12C	C	12	12	0.9893	1
13C	C	13	13.003355	0.0107	0.010816
1H	H	1	1.007825	0.999885	1

valence	hill_order
4	1
4	2
1	3

Molecular formula library

Molecular formula assignment in UME is based on a pre-defined molecular formula library (data.table format) containing:

A version key (vkey) that uniquely identifies the version and each row of the library.
A string of the molecular formula (mf; according to the hill nomenclature)
The atom number of each isotope contained in a given molecular formula
The exact mass of each formula (mass; as taken from masses; s. above)

Demo formula library:

ume::lib_demo

Column names are explained here:

?ume::lib_demo

vkey	mf	mass	12C	13C	1H	14N	15N	16O	32S
9.9e+13	C9H2N4S	200.000407	8	1	2	3	1	0	1
9.9e+13	C5H4N4O3S	200.0004112	5	0	4	4	0	3	1
9.9e+13	C4H9NO4S2	200.000655	3	1	9	1	0	4	2

Using External UME Formula Libraries

The UME package provides high-resolution molecular formula libraries that are too large to ship with the CRAN package itself (20–130 MB).
These libraries are openly available through Zenodo at:

https://doi.org/10.5281/zenodo.17606457

UME includes a convenience function, download_library(), that automatically:

Downloads the selected library (if only) once
Verifies its integrity via a SHA256 checksum
Loads it into the R session as a data.table
Caches it in memory for repeated use
Avoids repeated downloads unless overwrite = TRUE

# formula_library <- download_library("lib_02.rds")

Downloaded libraries are stored by default in: ~/.ume/

Create your own molecular formula library

It is important to consider that the formula assignment process fundamentally depends on the content of the formula library. Predefined libraries are available on the original UME gitlab repository.

Custom libraries can also be constructed:

ume_custom_library <- create_ume_formula_library(max_mass = 50,
    max_formula = "C5H12O10")

Molecular formula data

Molecular formula assignment and the calculation of evaluation parameters results in a molecular formula data object (data.table)

The package contains an molecular formula data table:

ume::mf_data_demo[1:3]

Column names are explained here:

?ume::mf_data_demo

5. What else can you do with `ume`?

# Calculate double bond equivalent for a molecular formula
calc_dbe("C2H4")

## [1] 1

# Nominal mass
calc_nm(c("C2[13C]H4", "C2H4"))

## [1] 28 41

# Exact mass
calc_exact_mass("C2[13C]H4")

## [1] 41.03465

# Neutral mass for (de-) protonated ions
calc_neutral_mass(123.1241, pol = "neg")

## [1] 124.1314

# Formula to table
dt <- convert_molecular_formula_to_data_table("C2[13C]H4")
dt

## Key: <mf_iso>
##     vkey     mf    mf_iso     mass    nm   12C   13C    1H
##    <int> <char>    <char>    <num> <num> <int> <int> <int>
## 1:     1   C3H4 C2[13C]H4 41.03465    41     2     1     4

# Table to formula
convert_data_table_to_molecular_formulas(dt[, .(`12C`, `13C`,
    `1H`)])

##     vkey     mf   12C   13C    1H
##    <int> <char> <int> <int> <int>
## 1:     1   C3H4     2     1     4

6. Package content and documentation

Which version is installed and loaded?

packageVersion("ume") 1.5.2

What is new?

news(package = "ume")

7. UME installation

# Local installation from tarball This in case that you
# have previously installed the UME package:
detach("package:ume", unload = TRUE)
.rs.restartR()

# Install from tarball (adjust your path accordingly)
utils::install.packages("your_path_to/ume.tar.gz", repos = NULL,
    type = "source")

These binaries (installable software) and packages are in development.
They may not be fully stable and should be used with caution. We make no claims about them.
Health stats visible at Monitor.

ume

Getting Started with UltraMassExplorer

Boris Koch

2025-12-08

Getting started

1. Overview UME data workflow

All of these tasks can be executed in just two steps:

Formula assignment and calculation of evaluation parameters

Formula filtering (subsetting) and normalization

Alternatively, the workflow can be performed in single steps:

2. Visualization and statistics

3. Re-calibration of peaklists

4. UME core data objects

Mass Peak List

Isotopic masses

Molecular formula library

Using External UME Formula Libraries

Create your own molecular formula library

Molecular formula data

5. What else can you do with ume?

6. Package content and documentation

Which version is installed and loaded?

What is new?

7. UME installation

5. What else can you do with `ume`?