matchms

Process MS/MS spectra with filtering, similarity scoring, and metadata harmonization pipelines.

16|7|Updated Nov 20, 2025
One-click install
npx skills add https://github.com/jackspace/ClaudeSkillz --skill matchms
Or copy as Structured Prompt for Agent
Please help me install this Agent Skill.
Skill: matchms
Source: https://github.com/jackspace/ClaudeSkillz/tree/main/skills/scientific-pkg-matchms
Command: npx skills add https://github.com/jackspace/ClaudeSkillz --skill matchms

SYSTEM DOCUMENTATION & REQUIREMENTS

💡 This Skill includes references (resource) components.

What problem does it solve?

Matchms provides a pipeline for importing, filtering, and comparing MS/MS spectra in metabolomics workflows.

Core Features & Use Cases

  • Import/Export: mzML, MGF, MSP, JSON, etc.
  • Filtering & QC: Normalize intensities, filter peaks, metadata harmonization.
  • Spectral similarity: Cosine, Modified Cosine, etc.
  • Pipelines & workflows: Reproducible analysis.

Quick Start

Import a small set of spectra, apply default filters, and compute similarity to a library.

Frequently Asked Questions about matchms

High-intent search queries and answers about installing and using this skill.

FAQPage Schema
How do I standardize and compare mass spectrometry spectra for metabolomics analysis?

Mass spectrometry standardization involves normalizing peak intensities, filtering noise, and harmonizing metadata across spectra. Matchms automates this preprocessing and computes spectral similarity using cosine and alternative metrics to identify compounds against reference libraries in metabolomics workflows.

What file formats can I import and export for MS/MS spectral data?

Matchms supports import and export of mzML, mzXML, MGF, MSP, and JSON formats, enabling seamless integration with diverse mass spectrometry platforms and metabolomics pipelines while maintaining data integrity across conversions.

How do I build a reproducible mass spectrometry processing pipeline?

Use the SpectrumProcessor to chain filtering, normalization, and similarity-scoring steps into repeatable workflows. This ensures consistent QC and compound identification across large MS datasets without manual reconfiguration.

Can I compute spectral similarity to identify unknown compounds in MS data?

Yes. Matchms calculates cosine and modified cosine similarity scores between experimental spectra and reference libraries, enabling compound identification and annotation in untargeted metabolomics and MS data analysis.

What preprocessing steps are needed before computing spectral similarity?

Matchms filters peaks by intensity threshold, normalizes peak heights, removes low-quality spectra, and harmonizes metadata fields. These QC steps improve similarity matching accuracy and reduce false identifications in mass spectrometry workflows.

Does matchms require additional dependencies to process metabolomics data?

Matchms has no mandatory external dependencies listed. It provides built-in Spectrum objects, metadata handling, and similarity metrics, making it self-contained for importing, filtering, and comparing MS/MS spectra in metabolomics workflows.