OpenMS WebApps: Building User-Friendly Solutions for MS Analysis

TL;DR

OpenMS WebApps provides an easy-to-use, web-based platform for MS data analysis, making complex proteomics and metabolomics workflows accessible to non-experts and streamlining deployment for researchers and developers.

Contribution

It introduces a framework for creating user-friendly MS web applications using Streamlit, enabling rapid development and deployment of custom tools for the OpenMS ecosystem.

Findings

Simplifies MS data analysis with an intuitive GUI.

Supports both local and online execution environments.

Demonstrates utility across diverse MS-related applications.

Abstract

Liquid Chromatography Mass Spectrometry (LC-MS) is an indispensable analytical technique in proteomics, metabolomics, and other life sciences. While OpenMS provides advanced open-source software for MS data analysis, its complexity can be challenging for non-experts. To address this, we have developed OpenMS WebApps, a framework for creating user-friendly MS web applications based on the Streamlit Python package. OpenMS WebApps simplifies MS data analysis through an intuitive graphical user interface, interactive result visualizations, and support for both local and online execution. Key features include workspaces management, automatic generation of input widgets, and parallel execution of tools resulting in highperformance and ready-to-use solutions for online and local deployment. This framework benefits both researchers and developers: scientists can focus on their research without the burden of complex software setups, and developers can rapidly create and distribute custom WebApps with novel algorithms. Several applications built on the OpenMS WebApps template demonstrate its utility across diverse MS-related fields, enhancing the OpenMS eco-system for developers and a wider range of users. Furthermore, it integrates seamlessly with third-party software, extending benefits to developers beyond the OpenMS community.