MeTime: An R package for reproducible longitudinal metabolomics data analysis

Fuente: arXiv
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Main Authors: Marella, Bharadwaj, Weinisch, Patrick, Vehovec, Lara, Tran, Vinh, Bless, Josef J, Nsangou, Yacoub A. Njipouombe, Kastenmueller, Gabi, Arnold, Matthias
Format: Preprint
Published: 2026
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author Marella, Bharadwaj
Weinisch, Patrick
Vehovec, Lara
Tran, Vinh
Bless, Josef J
Nsangou, Yacoub A. Njipouombe
Kastenmueller, Gabi
Arnold, Matthias
author_facet Marella, Bharadwaj
Weinisch, Patrick
Vehovec, Lara
Tran, Vinh
Bless, Josef J
Nsangou, Yacoub A. Njipouombe
Kastenmueller, Gabi
Arnold, Matthias
contents MeTime is an opensource R package for reproducible analysis of longitudinal metabolomics data. It builds upon a central S4 container, metime_analyser, that stores multiple datasets, associated metadata and analysis outputs, enabling unified handling of complex longitudinal studies. Analyses are constructed by piping modular functions, beginning with data transformations (mod_), followed by calculations (calc_), and optional meta-analysis (meta_), so entire workflows remain transparent and easy to modify. MeTime wraps numerous existing methods within a consistent interface, including sample and metabolite distributions, correlation and distance matrices, dimensionality reduction (PCA, UMAP, tSNE), random forest imputation and feature selection via Boruta, eigenmetabolites and WGCNA based clustering, conservation index analysis, regression models (linear, mixed effects, and generalized additive), and partial correlation networks. By retaining all intermediate results and provenance within the container, MeTime facilitates iterative exploration and ensures reproducible reporting via automatically generated HTML and PDF outputs. Comprehensive user guides, case studies and reference documentation accompany the package, making MeTime a versatile platform for longitudinal omics workflows.
format Preprint
id arxiv_https___arxiv_org_abs_2605_08497
institution arXiv
publishDate 2026
record_format arxiv
spellingShingle MeTime: An R package for reproducible longitudinal metabolomics data analysis
Marella, Bharadwaj
Weinisch, Patrick
Vehovec, Lara
Tran, Vinh
Bless, Josef J
Nsangou, Yacoub A. Njipouombe
Kastenmueller, Gabi
Arnold, Matthias
Quantitative Methods
Mathematical Software
Biomolecules
MeTime is an opensource R package for reproducible analysis of longitudinal metabolomics data. It builds upon a central S4 container, metime_analyser, that stores multiple datasets, associated metadata and analysis outputs, enabling unified handling of complex longitudinal studies. Analyses are constructed by piping modular functions, beginning with data transformations (mod_), followed by calculations (calc_), and optional meta-analysis (meta_), so entire workflows remain transparent and easy to modify. MeTime wraps numerous existing methods within a consistent interface, including sample and metabolite distributions, correlation and distance matrices, dimensionality reduction (PCA, UMAP, tSNE), random forest imputation and feature selection via Boruta, eigenmetabolites and WGCNA based clustering, conservation index analysis, regression models (linear, mixed effects, and generalized additive), and partial correlation networks. By retaining all intermediate results and provenance within the container, MeTime facilitates iterative exploration and ensures reproducible reporting via automatically generated HTML and PDF outputs. Comprehensive user guides, case studies and reference documentation accompany the package, making MeTime a versatile platform for longitudinal omics workflows.
title MeTime: An R package for reproducible longitudinal metabolomics data analysis
topic Quantitative Methods
Mathematical Software
Biomolecules
url https://arxiv.org/abs/2605.08497