Scientists identify way to improve SEQUEST results

A team of scientists has designed software to make tandem mass spectrometry (MS/MS) databases more accurate and sensitive.

In a study published by BMC Bioinformatics, the scientists explained that following a series of technological breakthroughs, the generation of MS/MS data is now much more efficient.

However, the current database for identifying proteins, the popular SEQUEST algorithm which relies on the cross-correlation between the experimental mass spectrum and the theoretical spectrum of a peptide, using a simple fragmentation model often does not work as well in practice as it does in theory.

The team suggested that a more accurate quantitative analysis model was needed as SEQUEST often generates incorrect identifications.

They found that a better understanding of peptide fragmentation is required to produce more accurate and sensitive peptide sequencing algorithms.

As a result, the scientists designed software PI which, following experiments, has been shown to validate and improve the results of SEQUEST.