ometa-labs.bsky.social
@ometa-labs.bsky.social
Uncovering the dark matter of the metabolome | Empowering researchers to measure, connect, visualize, and understand the hidden chemical world within untargeted tandem mass spectrometry data | https://www.ometalabs.net/
MASST searches billions of spectra in seconds, answering the question, "Where have I seen this molecule before?" in the same time it takes to ask it. Custom MASST databases tailor searches to your research questions.

Want to try it out? Check out our new tutorial: www.youtube.com/watch?v=9mga....
Tutorial: Building Custom MASST Databases
YouTube video by Ometa Labs
www.youtube.com
September 8, 2025 at 6:35 PM
Love metabolite annotation? Check out this new paper on reverse spectral search, a simple idea that can dramatically improve annotation of chimeric spectra.

Full text here: pubmed.ncbi.nlm.nih.gov/40815677/.

Congrats to all the authors, especially @shipei-xing.bsky.social!
Reverse Spectral Search Reimagined: A Simple but Overlooked Solution for Chimeric Spectral Annotation - PubMed
The exponential growth of untargeted metabolomics data, now reaching billions of mass spectra in public repositories, benefits from reannotation strategies for data reuse. While tandem mass spectromet...
pubmed.ncbi.nlm.nih.gov
August 19, 2025 at 3:16 PM
Cool new paper alert! 𝗜𝗻𝘁𝗲𝗴𝗿𝗮𝘁𝗶𝗻𝗴 𝗠𝗮𝘀𝘀𝗤𝗟 𝗮𝗻𝗱 𝗠𝗼𝗹𝗲𝗰𝘂𝗹𝗮𝗿 𝗡𝗲𝘁𝘄𝗼𝗿𝗸𝗶𝗻𝗴 𝘁𝗼 𝗜𝗱𝗲𝗻𝘁𝗶𝗳𝘆 𝗕𝗶𝗼𝗮𝗰𝘁𝗶𝘃𝗲 𝗖𝗼𝗺𝗽𝗼𝘂𝗻𝗱𝘀 𝗶𝗻 𝙄𝙙𝙚𝙨𝙞𝙖 𝙥𝙤𝙡𝙮𝙘𝙖𝙧𝙥𝙖 𝗠𝗮𝘅𝗶𝗺 is a great example of how combining MassQL with molecular networking can cut through the noise and reveal bioactive compounds. Read more here: pubs.acs.org/doi/10.1021/....
Integrating MassQL and Molecular Networking to Identify Bioactive Compounds in Idesia polycarpa Maxim
Idesia polycarpa Maxim (Salicaceae) is a well-studied plant producing various hydroxycyclohexenone (HCH) ester derivatives, which constitute most of its secondary metabolites. However, these major metabolites have been reported as unrelated to the alpha-melanocyte stimulating hormone (α-MSH) induced microphthalmia-associated transcription factor (MITF) expression observed in B16F10 melanoma cells, suggesting they may not be responsible for the antimelanogenic effect previously seen with the crude extract. To resolve this discrepancy and identify the bioactive metabolites in the crude extracts, the chemical diversity of I. polycarpa was reanalyzed using Mass Spec Query Language (MassQL)-enhanced molecular networking analysis, which indicated the presence of molecular families of phenolic glycosides without HCH esters. Following the MassQL-guided strategy to uncover the compounds responsible for the bioactivity, a targeted isolation study yielded five previously undescribed compounds and three known compounds, consistent with the MassQL annotations. Notably, one of the isolated non-HCH ester compounds, compound 1, demonstrated significant inhibition of α-MSH-induced melanogenesis via tyrosinase inhibition and MITF downregulation. This finding provides a potential explanation for the previously observed antimelanogenic activity of the crude extract, addressing the inconsistency associated with the major metabolites.
pubs.acs.org
August 7, 2025 at 2:36 PM
Cool paper alert! 𝗔𝗻 𝗲𝘃𝗮𝗹𝘂𝗮𝘁𝗶𝗼𝗻 𝗺𝗲𝘁𝗵𝗼𝗱𝗼𝗹𝗼𝗴𝘆 𝗳𝗼𝗿 𝗺𝗮𝗰𝗵𝗶𝗻𝗲 𝗹𝗲𝗮𝗿𝗻𝗶𝗻𝗴-𝗯𝗮𝘀𝗲𝗱 𝘁𝗮𝗻𝗱𝗲𝗺 𝗺𝗮𝘀𝘀 𝘀𝗽𝗲𝗰𝘁𝗿𝗮 𝘀𝗶𝗺𝗶𝗹𝗮𝗿𝗶𝘁𝘆 𝗽𝗿𝗲𝗱𝗶𝗰𝘁𝗶𝗼𝗻 introduces a reproducible method for evaluating ML models that predict spectral similarity.

Read more here: bmcbioinformatics.biomedcentral.com/articles/10....

Congrats to the authors!
July 14, 2025 at 2:37 PM
Love natural products?

We do too! In our new video tutorial, we show you how to go from MS/MS data to a novel bioactive natural product produced across the tree of life - all in under 5 minutes.

Watch here: www.youtube.com/watch?v=hg79....
Discovering Natural Products in Ometa Flow
YouTube video by Ometa Labs
www.youtube.com
July 7, 2025 at 7:03 PM
How do microbes shape host biology - and how can we measure it? This excellent new review offers a comprehensive look at how to tackle this question.

Read the full text here: pubs.rsc.org/en/content/a...

Congrats to all the authors!
Mass spectrometry-based metabolomics approaches to interrogate host–microbiome interactions in mammalian systems
Covering: 2015 to 2025Chemical crosstalk is universal to all life, niche-specific, and essential to thrive. This crosstalk is mediated by a large diversity of molecules, including metal ions, small mo...
pubs.rsc.org
June 19, 2025 at 5:03 PM
Check out our new blog post on peak integration!

www.ometalabs.net/resources/pe...
Peak Integration — Ometa Labs
www.ometalabs.net
June 18, 2025 at 1:58 PM
The cool papers just keep coming!

𝘌𝘹 𝘝𝘪𝘷𝘰 Interaction Between Human Gut Microbiota and Artemisinin: A Multi-Omics Perspective explores how the antimalarial drug artemisinin is metabolized by the human gut microbiota.

Read more here: pmc.ncbi.nlm.nih.gov/articles/PMC...

Congrats to the authors!
June 17, 2025 at 2:03 PM
Cool new paper alert! 𝘛𝘩𝘦 𝘮𝘪𝘤𝘳𝘰𝘣𝘪𝘰𝘮𝘦 𝘥𝘪𝘷𝘦𝘳𝘴𝘪𝘧𝘪𝘦𝘴 𝘭𝘰𝘯𝘨- 𝘵𝘰 𝘴𝘩𝘰𝘳𝘵-𝘤𝘩𝘢𝘪𝘯 𝘧𝘢𝘵𝘵𝘺 𝘢𝘤𝘪𝘥-𝘥𝘦𝘳𝘪𝘷𝘦𝘥 𝘕-𝘢𝘤𝘺𝘭 𝘭𝘪𝘱𝘪𝘥𝘴 uses MassQL to identify over 750 new 𝘕-acyl lipids.

Read the full text here: www.cell.com/cell/fulltex...

Congrats to all the authors!
The microbiome diversifies long- to short-chain fatty acid-derived N-acyl lipids
Mass spectrometry data mining tools enabled the creation of an MS/MS spectral library containing hundreds of N-acyl lipids, including conjugates with short-chain fatty acids. This resource enabled the...
www.cell.com
June 16, 2025 at 3:00 PM
Ometa MASST is coming - and we want your feedback!

We’re opening beta registration for the new Ometa Labs MASST server, purpose-built to bring high-throughput mass spectrometry search to the forefront of your research.

Register here: ometa-labs.neetoform.com/febd96405b1f...
June 10, 2025 at 6:31 PM
Did you use GNPS during your academic career?

Ometa Labs adapts the cutting-edge workflows of GNPS for industry. This means one-on-one support and troubleshooting, enhanced data privacy, and custom development to fit your analysis needs.

Contact us to learn more: www.ometalabs.net/contact
June 5, 2025 at 2:22 PM
Beta test our new MASST server!

MASST is a revolutionary algorithm that can search billions of mass spectra in seconds. By beta testing, you'll get two weeks of unlimited searches free! Register here: ometa-labs.neetoform.com/febd96405b1f...

New to MASST? Learn more here: youtu.be/jAOj4XBFQEM?...
June 4, 2025 at 1:55 PM
Potential activity for next year's #ASMS?

m.xkcd.com/3094/
June 3, 2025 at 2:48 PM
What's the difference between Ometa Labs and GNPS/GNPS2?

TL;DR: GNPS2 is great, but is only available for non-commercial use. Ometa Flow provides GNPS2 workflows to businesses, with analysis solutions, security, and support tailored to industry needs.
May 29, 2025 at 6:12 PM
What is MASST?

At Ometa Labs, we're tackling one of metabolomic's biggest challenges: the fact that over 80% of small molecules go unannotated using traditional library searches.

MASST changes the game.

Learn more here: youtu.be/jAOj4XBFQEM?...

Don't miss the exciting announcement at the end!
What is MASST? Uncovering the Unknown in Mass Spectrometry
YouTube video by Ometa Labs
youtu.be
May 28, 2025 at 4:50 PM
Natural products have shaped modern medicine, but their discovery is still challeneging. Our newest application note highlights how Ometa Flow can accelerate natural products discovery by going from raw data to lead compounds in less than 15 minutes. Read more here: www.ometalabs.net/application-...
Accelerating Natural Products Research with Ometa Flow — Ometa Labs
Natural products and their derivatives make up the majority of FDA-approved small molecule drugs, yet natural products discovery still plays a small role in pharmaceutical R&D. Learn how Ometa Flo...
www.ometalabs.net
May 21, 2025 at 6:19 PM
Ever looked at a compound and wondered: where have I seen this before? Domain-specific MASST can answer that question in seconds, and show where your compound is detected across microbes, plants, tissues, and more.

Learn more here: www.ometalabs.net/resources/do...
Domain-Specific MASST — Ometa Labs
www.ometalabs.net
May 15, 2025 at 7:10 PM
So exited to see this paper out! MassQL is game changing for compound identification (plus it's really fun to use!). You can read more about MassQL here: www.ometalabs.net/resources/ma....

Congrats to the authors!
May 12, 2025 at 8:35 PM
Reposted
I am thrilled to share after years of work/procrastination that the MassQL manuscript is finally published in @natmethods.nature.com - "A universal language for finding mass spectrometry data patterns". This was an team effort from all co-authors that helped shape MassQL and how it could be used.
May 12, 2025 at 6:10 PM
In small‑molecule mass spec, we often treat spectral differences caused by adducts or collision energies as nuisances. But this new study flips that script and demonstrates a powerful way to predict chemical modifications.

Read more here: pubmed.ncbi.nlm.nih.gov/40202176/

Congrats to the authors!
Multispectrum ModiFinder Site Localization Performance - PubMed
Tandem mass spectrometry (MS/MS) is a powerful technique for structural identification of small molecules, yet a significant portion of MS/MS spectra from untargeted experiments remain unidentifiable ...
pubmed.ncbi.nlm.nih.gov
April 16, 2025 at 2:00 PM
Want to learn about Ometa Flow but only have 49 seconds?

Here you go!

youtu.be/U2aAHK8ysvU?...

#discovery #smallmolecules #metabolomics
What is Ometa Flow?
YouTube video by Ometa Labs
youtu.be
April 9, 2025 at 2:36 PM
Great news! We're rolling out a new licensing tier designed for smaller teams.

These licenses include all the tools and workflows Ometa has to offer, along with our best-in-class expert support. Learn more on our website: www.ometalabs.net.
April 7, 2025 at 5:32 PM
Really cool paper applying MassQL to system suitability testing: www.authorea.com/doi/full/10..... Congrats to the authors Heather Winter, Dylan Johnson, and Alan K. Jarmusch!

Haven't heard of MassQL? Check out our blog post here: www.ometalabs.net/resources/ma...
Open-source System Suitability: Mass Spectrometry Query Language Lab (MassQLab)
Reproducible analytical instrumentation system performance is critical for mass spectrometry, particularly metabolomics, aptly named system suitability testing. We identified a need based on literatur...
www.authorea.com
April 3, 2025 at 2:15 PM
Guess our job here is done.
April 1, 2025 at 2:34 PM
Have a burning compound identification question? Drop by our office hours on Tuesdays from 12-1 pm Eastern to discuss with our team.

Sign up here: www.ometalabs.net/contact

Note: if you're an academic, check out the GNPS2 office hours here: wang-bioinformatics-lab.github.io/GNPS2_Docume...
Contact — Ometa Labs
Get in touch! Drop in for office hours or schedule a meet and greet to discuss your small molecule analysis needs with Ometa's expert team.
www.ometalabs.net
March 27, 2025 at 2:17 PM