DEEP picker is a deep neural network for accurate deconvolution of complex two-dimensional NMR spectra

The analysis of nuclear magnetic resonance (NMR) spectra for the comprehensive and unambiguous identification and characterization of peaks is a difficult, but critically important step in all NMR analyses of complex biological molecular systems. Here, we introduce DEEP Picker, a deep neural network (DNN)-based approach for peak picking and spectral deconvolution which semi-automates the analysis of two-dimensional NMR spectra. DEEP Picker includes 8 hidden convolutional layers and was trained on a large number of synthetic spectra of known composition with variable degrees of crowdedness. We show that our method is able to correctly identify overlapping peaks, including ones that are challenging for expert spectroscopists and existing computational methods alike. We demonstrate the utility of DEEP Picker on NMR spectra of folded and intrinsically disordered proteins as well as a complex metabolomics mixture, and show how it provides access to valuable NMR information. DEEP Picker should facilitate the semi-automation and standardization of protocols for better consistency and sharing of results within the scientific community. The analysis of NMR spectra of complex biochemical samples with respect to individual resonances is challenging but critically important. Here, the authors present a deep learning-based method that accelerates this process also for crowded NMR data that are non-trivial to analyze, even by expert NMR spectroscopists.

Automated summary

The study introduces a deep learning-based method for analyzing NMR spectra, which is challenging even for experts. DEEP Picker plays an important role in the analysis of complex biochemical samples, providing valuable information.