bbeaR

bbeaR is an open-source R package for analyzing epitope-specific antibody repertoires, a critical area of study in understanding the pathogenesis of inflammatory disorders and allergies. The tool works with the Bead-Based Epitope Assay (BBEA), a novel multiplex immunoassay developed to quantify levels of epitope-specific immunoglobulins across different isotypes (IgE, IgG, IgA, and IgD). bbeaR provides a comprehensive framework for the import, processing, normalization, and analysis of .csv data files exported from Luminex readers, which are commonly used in BBEA analyses.

Key Features of bbeaR:

- Data Import and Processing: bbeaR simplifies importing and processing .csv data files from Luminex readers, making it easier for researchers to start their data analysis.

- Normalization and Quality Control: The package includes functions for data normalization and evaluation of various quality control metrics, ensuring that the analysis is based on reliable and accurate data.

- Differential Epitope-Binding Analysis: One of the core functionalities of bbeaR is its capacity to analyze differential epitope-binding antibodies using linear modeling. This feature is handy for identifying significant differences in antibody binding across different conditions or patient groups, providing insights into the immune response.

- Visualization and Mapping: bbeaR supports the visualization of results, including the mapping of epitopes' amino acid sequences to their respective primary protein structures. These visualization capabilities make it easier for researchers to interpret their data and draw meaningful conclusions about epitope-antibody interactions.

- Streamlined and Reproducible Analysis: By offering a standardized framework for BBEA data analysis, bbeaR promotes streamlined and reproducible research. Researchers can share their analysis pipelines and results more quickly, fostering collaboration and validating findings across the scientific community.