Fig. 5: Proposed workflow from specimen to classification. A) Sampling and sample preparation. A tissue sample from an identified specimen is stored at cold temperatures until further processing. Especially for long-term storage it should be aimed at low temperature storage. A smaller subsample is incubated in HCCA Matrix and the solution is transferred to target plate for measurement. B) Measurements are imported to R and mass spectra are quality controlled. The data then needs optimization for best model quality (e.g. adjust HWS, SNR, etc.). C) Classification using the optimized RF model. Application of thepost-hoc test to verify classification. If classification is rejected, phylum/class/family level models may result in a higher taxonomic classification. The R logo is © 2016 The R Foundation and is used under the CC-BY-SA 4.0 license.