MetAMP

MetAMP is a software framework and collaborative platform designed to support systematic reviews and meta-analyses of antimicrobial peptide (AMP) research. It provides standardized data models, analysis pipelines, and reproducible workflows to synthesize results across diverse studies.

Origin and scope: Initiated in the early 2010s by researchers in bioinformatics and pharmacology, MetAMP aims to address heterogeneity in AMP literature by enabling researchers to harmonize data on peptide sequences, assay types, experimental conditions, and measured activities.

Architecture and features: MetAMP uses modular components, including a data schema for peptides and assays, a meta-analysis engine supporting fixed- and random-effects models and Bayesian methods, and visualization tools such as forest plots and funnel plots. It integrates with public AMP databases and supports export to common formats for reporting and open-science standards.

Applications: Researchers use MetAMP to estimate overall antimicrobial efficacy across peptides, compare activities across organisms or assay types, identify sequence motifs associated with activity, and prioritize candidates for experimental validation.

Limitations and reception: As with any meta-analysis platform, results depend on data quality and comparability of assays. Critics note that publication bias, incomplete metadata, and inconsistent reporting can limit interpretability. Proponents emphasize that MetAMP standardizes workflows and improves reproducibility.

Future directions: Development focuses on expanding data coverage, improving data curation, and integrating machine-learning modules for predictive modeling.

See also: Meta-analysis, Antimicrobial peptide, Bioinformatics, Open science.