matchms

Rank candidate metabolites by comparing mass spectra with matchs cosine metrics.

94|11|Updated Mar 26, 2026
One-click install
npx skills add https://github.com/swaruplab/operon --skill matchms-swaruplab
Or copy as Structured Prompt for Agent
Please help me install this Agent Skill.
Skill: matchms
Source: https://github.com/swaruplab/operon/tree/main/src-tauri/protocols/matchms
Command: npx skills add https://github.com/swaruplab/operon --skill matchms-swaruplab

SYSTEM DOCUMENTATION & REQUIREMENTS

💡 This Skill includes references (resource) components.

What problem does it solve?

Spectral similarity analysis in metabolomics is data-intensive and demands robust, repeatable comparison of mass spectra to identify compounds from libraries.

Core Features & Use Cases

  • Compute spectral similarity using CosineGreedy, CosineHungarian, ModifiedCosine, and NeutralLossesCosine to identify closest matches and analogs.
  • Load, preprocess, and compare spectra across multiple formats (MGF, MSP, mzML, JSON) and integrate into end-to-end workflows for library matching and compound identification.
  • Build multi-metric identification pipelines, leveraging metadata-based, precursor-mMz, and structural fingerprint scoring for robust candidate ranking.

Quick Start

Load a reference library and a set of query spectra, apply default preprocessing, and run CosineGreedy similarity to obtain top matches.

Frequently Asked Questions about matchms

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

FAQPage Schema
How do I identify metabolites from mass spectrometry data using spectral matching?

Metabolite identification via spectral matching compares query mass spectra against reference libraries to rank candidates. This Skill computes similarity scores using CosineGreedy, ModifiedCosine, and NeutralLossesCosine algorithms to find the closest structural analogs.

What mass spectrometry file formats can I use for metabolomics library matching?

Metabolomics library matching supports loading and comparing spectra across MGF, MSP, mzML, and JSON formats. You can apply default preprocessing to harmonize metadata before running similarity comparisons.

Do I need RDKit to compute structural fingerprints for compound identification?

Yes, RDKit is required to generate structural fingerprints for compound identification. Leveraging fingerprint scoring alongside precursor-mz and metadata-based metrics builds robust multi-metric pipelines for ranking candidate metabolites.

What's the difference between CosineGreedy and ModifiedCosine for spectral similarity?

CosineGreedy and ModifiedCosine are both spectral similarity algorithms for compound identification. ModifiedCosine accounts for neutral losses to detect structural analogs, whereas CosineGreedy provides standard fast similarity scoring for library matching.

How do I build a multi-metric pipeline for metabolite annotation?

Build a multi-metric identification pipeline by combining metadata-based, precursor-mz, and structural fingerprint scoring. This approach harmonizes spectra metadata and computes multiple similarity metrics to robustly rank candidate metabolites.

Can I preprocess and harmonize metadata for MGF and MSP files before spectral matching?

Yes, you can apply default preprocessing to harmonize metadata across MGF and MSP files before spectral matching. Metadata harmonization ensures consistent comparison when loading reference libraries and query spectra for compound identification.