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pycyto

Python utilities for cyto - format conversion and sample aggregation.

Overview

pycyto provides command-line tools for working with cyto outputs:

  • convert: Transform MTX format to h5ad (AnnData)
  • aggregate: Combine multi-probe cyto outputs into unified sample-level datasets

Installation

uv tool install pycyto
pycyto --help

Commands

convert

Convert Matrix Market (MTX) format from cyto to h5ad for downstream analysis.

pycyto convert <mtx_directory> <output.h5ad>

Arguments:

  • mtx_directory: Path to MTX directory (containing matrix.mtx, features.tsv, barcodes.tsv) or direct path to .mtx file
  • output.h5ad: Output h5ad file path

Options:

  • --compress / --no-compress: Enable gzip compression in h5ad (default: enabled)
  • --integer / --no-integer: Store counts as int32 instead of float32 (default: float32)

Examples:

# Convert MTX directory to h5ad
pycyto convert cyto_out/counts/BC001.counts.mtx sample.h5ad

# Convert without compression
pycyto convert cyto_out/counts/BC001.counts.mtx sample.h5ad --no-compress

# Store as integers for memory efficiency
pycyto convert cyto_out/counts/BC001.counts.mtx sample.h5ad --integer

Input structure (from cyto ibu count --format mtx):

mtx_directory/
├── matrix.mtx      # Sparse count matrix (gene × cell)
├── features.tsv    # Gene/feature names
└── barcodes.tsv    # Cell barcodes

Output: AnnData object (cell × gene) in CSR sparse format, ready for scanpy/seurat workflows

aggregate

Aggregate multi-probe cyto outputs across flex barcodes into unified sample-level datasets. Designed specifically for single-modal (GEX) and multi-modal Flex experiments (GEX + CRISPR).

pycyto aggregate <config.json> <cyto_outdir> <output_directory>

Arguments:

  • config.json: JSON configuration specifying sample structure and barcode assignments
  • cyto_outdir: Directory containing cyto workflow outputs
  • output_directory: Where to write aggregated files

Options:

  • --compress / --no-compress: Compress output h5ad files (default: no compression)
  • --threads INT: Number of parallel sample processing threads (default: -1 for all cores)
  • --verbose: Enable detailed logging

What it does:

  • Concatenates data across multiple flex probe barcodes per sample
  • Merges GEX and CRISPR modalities when both present
  • Adds guide assignments to GEX cell metadata
  • Filters CRISPR data to match filtered GEX cells (useful if using alternative guide-assignment algorithms)
  • Preserves per-cell read/UMI statistics

Output structure (per sample):

output_directory/
└── sample_name/
    ├── sample_name_gex.h5ad              # Gene expression data
    ├── sample_name_crispr.h5ad           # Guide RNA counts (GEX-filtered)
    ├── sample_name_assignments.parquet   # Guide assignments per cell
    └── sample_name_reads.parquet         # Read/UMI statistics per barcode

Configuration Format

Basic Structure

Configuration files require:

  • libraries: Named paths to feature files (probe lists, guide libraries)
  • samples: Array of sample specifications

Sample Specification

Each sample requires:

  • experiment: Experiment identifier (must match cyto output directory names)
  • sample: Unique sample name (used for output files)
  • mode: Processing mode (gex, crispr, or gex+crispr)
  • features: Which library/libraries to use (must match mode with +)
  • barcodes: Flex probe barcode assignments

Matches an output directory of the following path structure:

cyto_output_directory/
└── [experiment_name]_[mode]_Lane*/
    └── ...

Note: All Lanes for an Experiment + Mode will be concatenated. If you have differing barcode poolings based on Lane you will need to adjust your Experiment name to reflect that.

Barcode Syntax

Single barcode:

"barcodes": "BC001"

Barcode range (expands to BC001, BC002, BC003):

"barcodes": "BC1..3"

Non-contiguous selection:

"barcodes": "BC001|BC003|BC005"

Combined range and selection:

"barcodes": "BC1..3|BC005|BC7..9"

Multi-modal pairing (GEX + CRISPR on same cells):

"mode": "gex+crispr",
"features": "GEX_PROBE_LIST+CRISPR_PROBE_LIST",
"barcodes": "BC1..8+CR1..8"

Pairs BC001+CR001, BC002+CR002, ..., BC008+CR008

Multiple independent combinations:

"barcodes": "BC001+CR001|BC002+CR002"

Processes BC001+CR001 as one pair, BC002+CR002 as another

Configuration Examples

Example 1: Simple GEX experiment

{
  "libraries": {
    "GEX_PROBES": "./gex_probes.tsv"
  },
  "samples": [
    {
      "experiment": "exp1",
      "mode": "gex",
      "features": "GEX_PROBES",
      "sample": "control",
      "barcodes": "BC1..4"
    },
    {
      "experiment": "exp1",
      "mode": "gex",
      "features": "GEX_PROBES",
      "sample": "treatment",
      "barcodes": "BC5..8"
    }
  ]
}

Example 2: Multi-modal Perturb-seq

{
  "libraries": {
    "GEX_PROBES": "./gex_probes.tsv",
    "GUIDE_LIBRARY": "./guides.tsv"
  },
  "samples": [
    {
      "experiment": "perturbseq_screen",
      "mode": "gex+crispr",
      "features": "GEX_PROBES+GUIDE_LIBRARY",
      "sample": "screen_replicate1",
      "barcodes": "BC1..8+CR1..8"
    },
    {
      "experiment": "perturbseq_screen",
      "mode": "gex+crispr",
      "features": "GEX_PROBES+GUIDE_LIBRARY",
      "sample": "screen_replicate2",
      "barcodes": "BC9..16+CR9..16"
    }
  ]
}

Example 3: Developmental timecourse

{
  "libraries": {
    "GEX_PROBES": "./gex_probes.tsv",
    "GUIDES": "./guides.tsv"
  },
  "samples": [
    {
      "experiment": "timecourse_20250101",
      "mode": "gex+crispr",
      "features": "GEX_PROBES+GUIDES",
      "sample": "day0",
      "barcodes": "BC1..4+CR1..4"
    },
    {
      "experiment": "timecourse_20250101",
      "mode": "gex+crispr",
      "features": "GEX_PROBES+GUIDES",
      "sample": "day7",
      "barcodes": "BC5..7+CR5..7"
    },
    {
      "experiment": "timecourse_20250101",
      "mode": "gex+crispr",
      "features": "GEX_PROBES+GUIDES",
      "sample": "day14",
      "barcodes": "BC8..12+CR8..12"
    }
  ]
}

Typical Workflows

Single Sample Conversion

# 1. Run cyto workflow
cyto workflow gex -c probes.tsv -w whitelist.txt -o cyto_out sample.vbq

# 2. Convert probe barcode to h5ad
pycyto convert cyto_out/counts/BC001.counts.mtx sample_BC001.h5ad

Multi-Modal Perturb-seq Aggregation

# 1. Run cyto for GEX and CRISPR
cyto workflow gex -c gex_probes.tsv -w whitelist.txt -p probes.txt -o cyto_out/perturbseq_GEX_Lane1 sample.vbq
cyto workflow crispr -c guides.tsv -w whitelist.txt -p probes.txt -o cyto_out/perturbseq_CRISPR_Lane1 sample.vbq

# 2. Create aggregation config
cat > config.json << 'EOF'
{
  "libraries": {
    "GEX": "./gex_probes.tsv",
    "GUIDES": "./guides.tsv"
  },
  "samples": [
    {
      "experiment": "perturbseq",
      "mode": "gex+crispr",
      "features": "GEX+GUIDES",
      "sample": "mysample",
      "barcodes": "BC1..16+CR1..16"
    }
  ]
}
EOF

# 3. Aggregate (merges GEX + CRISPR modalities)
pycyto aggregate config.json ./cyto_out ./aggr

# Output:
# ./aggr/mysample/
#   ├── mysample_gex.h5ad            # Gene expression with guide annotations
#   ├── mysample_crispr.h5ad         # Guide counts (filtered to GEX cells)
#   ├── mysample_assignments.parquet # Guide assignments
#   └── mysample_reads.parquet       # QC statistics

Multiple Samples from Same Experiment

# 1. Run cyto workflows
cyto workflow gex -c probes.tsv -w whitelist.txt -p probes.txt -o cyto_out/exp_GEX_Lane1 samples.vbq
cyto workflow crispr -c guides.tsv -w whitelist.txt -p probes.txt -o cyto_out/exp_CRISPR_Lane1 samples.vbq

# 2. Create config assigning barcodes to biological samples
cat > config.json << 'EOF'
{
  "libraries": {
    "GEX": "./gex_probes.tsv",
    "GUIDES": "./guides.tsv"
  },
  "samples": [
    {
      "experiment": "exp",
      "mode": "gex+crispr",
      "features": "GEX+GUIDES",
      "sample": "control_rep1",
      "barcodes": "BC1..2+CR1..2"
    },
    {
      "experiment": "exp",
      "mode": "gex+crispr",
      "features": "GEX+GUIDES",
      "sample": "control_rep2",
      "barcodes": "BC3..4+CR3..4"
    },
    {
      "experiment": "exp",
      "mode": "gex+crispr",
      "features": "GEX+GUIDES",
      "sample": "treatment_rep1",
      "barcodes": "BC5..6+CR5..6"
    },
    {
      "experiment": "exp",
      "mode": "gex+crispr",
      "features": "GEX+GUIDES",
      "sample": "treatment_rep2",
      "barcodes": "BC7..8+CR7..8"
    }
  ]
}
EOF

# 3. Aggregate all samples in parallel
pycyto aggregate config.json ./cyto_out ./aggr

Aggregation Details

What Gets Aggregated

For each sample, aggregate combines data across all specified flex barcodes:

GEX mode: Concatenates gene expression matrices
CRISPR mode: Concatenates guide count matrices
GEX + CRISPR mode:

  • Merges guide assignments into GEX .obs metadata
  • Filters CRISPR data to cells present in filtered GEX data
  • Adds read/UMI statistics for both modalities

Cell Metadata in Aggregated h5ad

The aggregated GEX h5ad includes:

  • experiment: Experiment identifier
  • sample: Sample name
  • flex_barcode: Original flex probe barcode (e.g., "BC001")
  • lane_id: Sequencing lane identifier
  • assignment: Assigned guide(s) from CRISPR data
  • moi: Multiplicity of infection (number of guides per cell)
  • umis: Guide UMI counts
  • n_reads_gex: Total GEX reads per cell
  • n_umis_gex: Total GEX UMIs per cell
  • n_reads_crispr: Total CRISPR reads per cell
  • n_umis_crispr: Total CRISPR UMIs per cell

Barcode Matching

When pairing GEX and CRISPR data:

  • CRISPR barcodes (CR) are automatically converted to match GEX format (BC) for cell matching
  • Cells are matched on: cell_barcode + flex_barcode + lane_id
  • Only cells present in filtered GEX data are retained in CRISPR output

Cyto Output Directory Structure

aggregate expects cyto outputs organized as:

cyto_outdir/
├── {experiment}_GEX_Lane*/
│   └── counts/
│       ├── BC001.h5ad
│       ├── BC002.h5ad
│       └── ...
└── {experiment}_CRISPR_Lane*/
    ├── counts/
    │   ├── CR001.h5ad
    │   └── ...
    └── assignments/
        ├── CR001.assignments.tsv
        └── ...

Where {experiment} matches the experiment field in your config.

Advanced Usage

Processing Subset of Barcodes

Process only specific barcode combinations by modifying the config:

{
  "samples": [
    {
      "experiment": "exp1",
      "mode": "gex+crispr",
      "features": "GEX+GUIDES",
      "sample": "high_quality_subset",
      "barcodes": "BC001+CR001|BC003+CR003|BC007+CR007"
    }
  ]
}

Different Feature Libraries per Sample

Reference different probe/guide libraries:

{
  "libraries": {
    "TISSUE_PANEL": "./tissue_probes.tsv",
    "IMMUNE_PANEL": "./immune_probes.tsv",
    "SCREEN_GUIDES": "./guides.tsv"
  },
  "samples": [
    {
      "experiment": "exp1",
      "mode": "gex+crispr",
      "features": "TISSUE_PANEL+SCREEN_GUIDES",
      "sample": "tissue_sample",
      "barcodes": "BC1..8+CR1..8"
    },
    {
      "experiment": "exp1",
      "mode": "gex+crispr",
      "features": "IMMUNE_PANEL+SCREEN_GUIDES",
      "sample": "pbmc_sample",
      "barcodes": "BC9..16+CR9..16"
    }
  ]
}

Parallel Processing Control

# Use all available cores
pycyto aggregate config.json cyto_out output --threads -1

# Limit to 8 samples processed simultaneously
pycyto aggregate config.json cyto_out output --threads 8

# Single-threaded (minimal memory)
pycyto aggregate config.json cyto_out output --threads 1

Troubleshooting

Missing Files Error

Problem: "Expected Feature file does not exist"
Solution: Ensure MTX directory contains matrix.mtx, features.tsv, and barcodes.tsv

Barcode Format Errors

Problem: "Invalid barcode format"
Solution: Barcodes must be BC/CR/AB followed by numbers. Use range syntax: BC1..8 not BC1-8

No Data Found

Problem: "No data found to process for sample"
Solution:

  • Verify experiment name in config matches cyto output directory prefix
  • Check that barcode specifications match available probe barcodes in cyto output
  • Ensure cyto outputs are in expected directory structure

Memory Issues

Problem: Out of memory during aggregation
Solution:

  • Reduce --threads to process fewer samples concurrently
  • Use --compress to reduce output file sizes
  • Process samples in smaller batches with separate configs

Performance Notes

  • Parallel aggregation: Samples are processed independently in parallel (one per thread)
  • Lazy loading: Uses anndata experimental lazy loading to minimize memory overhead
  • Compression: Optional compression reduces h5ad file sizes ~40-50%
  • Integer storage: --integer flag in convert reduces memory vs float32

See Also

Citation

If you use pycyto in your research, please cite:

Teyssier, N. and Dobin, A. (2025). cyto: ultra-high throughput processing 
of 10x-flex single cell sequencing. bioRxiv.

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python utilities for cyto

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pycyto-0.1.14 Latest
Feb 12, 2026

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