title: flippant-An R package for the automated analysis of fluorescence-based scramblase assays.
abstract: BACKGROUND
  The lipid scrambling activity of protein extracts and purified scramblases is typically measured using a fluorescence-based assay. While the assay has yielded insight into the scramblase activity in crude membrane preparations, functional validation of candidate scramblases, stoichiometry of scramblase complexes as well as ATP-dependence of flippases, data analysis in its context has remained a task involving many manual steps.
  
  
  RESULTS
  With the extension package "flippant" to R, a free software environment for statistical computing and graphics, we introduce an integrated solution for the analysis and publication-grade graphical presentation of dithionite scramblase assays and demonstrate its utility in revisiting an originally manual analysis from the publication record, closely reproducing the reported results.
  
  
  CONCLUSIONS
  "flippant" allows for quick, reproducible data analysis of scramblase activity assays and provides a platform for review, dissemination and extension of the strategies it employs.
authors.affiliation: Research Division, Weill Cornell Medicine-Qatar, P.O.Box 24144, Doha, State of Qatar.
authors.forename: Richard J
authors.initials: RJ
authors.lastname: Cotton
authors.affiliation: Department of Biochemistry, Weill Cornell Medical College, New York, NY, 10065, USA.
authors.forename: Birgit
authors.initials: B
authors.lastname: Ploier
authors.affiliation: Department of Biochemistry, Weill Cornell Medical College, New York, NY, 10065, USA.
authors.forename: Michael A
authors.initials: MA
authors.lastname: Goren
authors.affiliation: Department of Biochemistry, Weill Cornell Medical College, New York, NY, 10065, USA.
authors.forename: Anant K
authors.initials: AK
authors.lastname: Menon
authors.affiliation: Research Division, Weill Cornell Medicine-Qatar, P.O.Box 24144, Doha, State of Qatar. jog2030@qatar-med.cornell.edu.|Current Address: Scientific Service Group Biomolecular Mass Spectrometry, Max Planck Institute for Heart and Lung Research, W.G. Kerckhoff Institute, Ludwigstr. 43, D-61231, Bad Nauheim, Germany. jog2030@qatar-med.cornell.edu.
authors.forename: Johannes
authors.identifier: http://orcid.org/0000-0002-3015-5850
authors.initials: J
authors.lastname: Graumann
mesh_terms: D001671:Biochemistry / Q000379:methods*; D005453:Fluorescence; D006801:Humans; D008055:Lipids; D049294:Phospholipid Transfer Proteins / Q000032:analysis / Q000378:metabolism*; D012984:Software
chemical_list: D008055:Lipids; D049294:Phospholipid Transfer Proteins
keywords: Dithionite scramblase assay; R; Scramblase