# DepoRanker: A Web Tool to predict Klebsiella Depolymerases using Machine Learning

arXiv: https://arxiv.org/abs/2501.16405 · HTML: https://mlsanity.com/paper/2501.16405/

## Key facts

- No citing papers in the map yet (data through 14 Oct 2026).
- Builds on 1 of its 27 references that are in the map.
- First posted on arXiv 27 Jan 2025.

## Builds on (most cited first, 1 of 1)

- [XGBoost: A Scalable Tree Boosting System](https://mlsanity.com/paper/1603.02754/) (2016)

## Abstract (arXiv)

Background: Phage therapy shows promise for treating antibiotic-resistant Klebsiella infections. Identifying phage depolymerases that target Klebsiella capsular polysaccharides is crucial, as these capsules contribute to biofilm formation and virulence. However, homology-based searches have limitations in novel depolymerase discovery. Objective: To develop a machine learning model for identifying and ranking potential phage depolymerases targeting Klebsiella. Methods: We developed DepoRanker, a machine learning algorithm to rank proteins by their likelihood of being depolymerases. The model was experimentally validated on 5 newly characterized proteins and compared to BLAST. Results: DepoRanker demonstrated superior performance to BLAST in identifying potential depolymerases. Experimental validation confirmed its predictive ability on novel proteins. Conclusions: DepoRanker provides an accurate and functional tool to expedite depolymerase discovery for phage therapy against Klebsiella. It is available as a webserver and open-source software. Availability: Webserver: https://deporanker.dcs.warwick.ac.uk/ Source code: https://github.com/wgrgwrght/deporanker