title: Open-Source, Platform-Independent Library and Online Scripting Environment for Accessing Thermo Scientific RAW Files.
abstract: Mass spectrometers typically output data in proprietary binary formats. While converter suites and standardized XML formats have been developed in response, these conversion steps come with non-negligible computational time and storage space overhead. As a result, simple, everyday data inspection tasks are often beyond the skills of the mass spectrometrist, who is unable to freely access the acquired data. We therefore here describe the unthermo library for convenient, platform-independent access to Thermo Scientific RAW files and the associated online playground to transform small and easily understandable scriptlets into executable programs for end-users. By fostering the provision of code examples and snippet exchange, the interested mass spectrometrist or researcher can use this playground to quickly assemble custom scripts for their particular purpose. In this way, the data in these RAW files can be mined much more readily and directly by the user, and fast, automated raw data extraction or analysis can finally become part of the daily routine of the mass spectrometrist.
authors.affiliation: Medical Biotechnology Center, VIB , Albert Baertsoenkaai 3, 9000 Ghent, Belgium.|Department of Biochemistry, Faculty of Medicine and Health Sciences, Ghent University , Albert Baertsoenkaai 3, 9000 Ghent, Belgium.|Bioinformatics Institute Ghent, Ghent University , 9000 Ghent, Belgium.|Flemish Institute for Technological Research (VITO) , Boeretang 200, 2400 Mol, Belgium.
authors.forename: Pieter
authors.initials: P
authors.lastname: Kelchtermans
authors.affiliation: Medical Biotechnology Center, VIB , Albert Baertsoenkaai 3, 9000 Ghent, Belgium.|Department of Biochemistry, Faculty of Medicine and Health Sciences, Ghent University , Albert Baertsoenkaai 3, 9000 Ghent, Belgium.|Bioinformatics Institute Ghent, Ghent University , 9000 Ghent, Belgium.
authors.forename: Ana S C
authors.initials: AS
authors.lastname: Silva
authors.affiliation: Medical Biotechnology Center, VIB , Albert Baertsoenkaai 3, 9000 Ghent, Belgium.|Department of Biochemistry, Faculty of Medicine and Health Sciences, Ghent University , Albert Baertsoenkaai 3, 9000 Ghent, Belgium.|Bioinformatics Institute Ghent, Ghent University , 9000 Ghent, Belgium.
authors.forename: Andrea
authors.initials: A
authors.lastname: Argentini
authors.affiliation: Medical Biotechnology Center, VIB , Albert Baertsoenkaai 3, 9000 Ghent, Belgium.|Department of Biochemistry, Faculty of Medicine and Health Sciences, Ghent University , Albert Baertsoenkaai 3, 9000 Ghent, Belgium.
authors.forename: An
authors.initials: A
authors.lastname: Staes
authors.affiliation: Medical Biotechnology Center, VIB , Albert Baertsoenkaai 3, 9000 Ghent, Belgium.|Department of Biochemistry, Faculty of Medicine and Health Sciences, Ghent University , Albert Baertsoenkaai 3, 9000 Ghent, Belgium.
authors.forename: Jonathan
authors.initials: J
authors.lastname: Vandenbussche
authors.affiliation: Department of Mathematics and Computer Science, University of Antwerp , 2020 Antwerp, Belgium.|Biomedical Informatics Research Center Antwerp (biomina), University of Antwerp/Antwerp University Hospital , 2020 Antwerp, Belgium.
authors.forename: Kris
authors.initials: K
authors.lastname: Laukens
authors.affiliation: Flemish Institute for Technological Research (VITO) , Boeretang 200, 2400 Mol, Belgium.|CFP, University of Antwerp , Groenenborgerlaan 171, 2020 Antwerp, Belgium.|I-BioStat, Hasselt University , Agoralaan, Building D, 3590 Diepenbeek, Belgium.
authors.forename: Dirk
authors.initials: D
authors.lastname: Valkenborg
authors.affiliation: Medical Biotechnology Center, VIB , Albert Baertsoenkaai 3, 9000 Ghent, Belgium.|Department of Biochemistry, Faculty of Medicine and Health Sciences, Ghent University , Albert Baertsoenkaai 3, 9000 Ghent, Belgium.|Bioinformatics Institute Ghent, Ghent University , 9000 Ghent, Belgium.
authors.forename: Lennart
authors.initials: L
authors.lastname: Martens
mesh_terms: D006801:Humans; D016247:Information Storage and Retrieval / Q000379:methods*; D020407:Internet; D046609:Libraries, Digital; D013058:Mass Spectrometry; D012984:Software
keywords: Thermo RAW data; data access; software library