Separating Concatenated .wiff Files in Analyst® Software


Date: 12/20/2017
Categories: Academia Omics , Pharma CRO , Analyst Software

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For research use only. Not for use in diagnostic procedures.


Answer

To separate concatenated .wiff file sets, a script called Make Subset File is used. This script might have limitations for Analyst® and Analyst TF software because it depends on the experiments in the file (i.e., the script does not work for IDA methods). The script is found on the Analyst TF software CD in the folder \Extras\Scripts\Make Subset File.

Make subset file

Use this script to manipulate data files by transferring samples to another data file, unpacking all samples in a data file to their own data file and then decomposing a single sample into many samples.

To use the script:

Section 1: General

This section describes how to select a data file to work on.

1. Click Script > MakeSubsetFile.

The Make Subset File dialog is shown.
User-added image
Note: By default, all the files in the current project data folder are loaded.

2. To add another file to this list, click Open and then navigate to the file.

3. Click the file.

4. To exit the program, click File > Exit.

Section 2: Transfer

This section describes how to transfer samples from one data file to another.

1. Click the Transfer tab. All the samples in the current working data file will automatically appear in the Samples to Transfer list.

2. To exclude a sample from the transfer, select it from the list and then click >>. The unwanted sample is shown in the Samples to Exclude list.

3. To include an excluded sample in the transfer, select it from the Samples to Exclude list and then click <<.

4. To exclude all the samples, click Remove All and then type the full path and the file name of the file to which the sample will extract, or navigate to a file. If the file does not exist, the Make Subset File script will create it.

5. To start the transfer, click Extract.

Section 3: Unpack

This section describes how to unpack every sample in one data file into its own data file.

1. Click the Unpack tab.

2. In the Destination Directory group, the location of the current working data file is shown. Select the location for the unpacked data files.

3. To create a new directory, right-click the directory tree. You will be prompted to type the new folder name and then set the active folder.

4. In the Output File Name text field, type the file name. Each sample unpacked from the working data file will begin with this name followed by the sample number in parentheses.

Note: Do not give an extension to this file (for example, do not include “.wiff”), because the Make Subset File program will automatically append this.

5. To begin unpacking the samples, click Extract.

Section 4: Decompose

This section describes how to decompose a sample into multiple samples.

1. Click the Decompose tab.

2. To use the Make Subset File script default values, select the Use Defaults check box.

3. To provide threshold values, clear the Use Defaults check box and then type the values in the fields.

• The Noise field contains the noise threshold value. This value indicates when a sub-sample begins and ends. If the intensity value exceeds this threshold, then it is considered a new sample. After an intensity value falls below this threshold, the sub-sample is considered complete and it is sent to the file.

• The width field contains the width threshold value. This value is used to prevent short periods of loud noise. If noise exceeds the noise threshold value for a short period of time (i.e, have a small width) then without the width threshold this noise will be considered a new sample. Only detected samples with a width that exceeds the width threshold will be exported to the file.

4. In the Decompose To field, type the full path and the file name of the file to which the sample will be decomposed, or navigate to a file. If this file does not exist, then the Make Subset File program will create it.

5. To start decomposing the sample, click Extract.