diff --git a/src/grouping/ptm/ptmgroupingexperiment.cpp b/src/grouping/ptm/ptmgroupingexperiment.cpp
index 22cc58a4dc5c0260ca564a9aa27232a4da064025..193b53b5fba3009ed94be780552d2d9620fd6fad 100644
--- a/src/grouping/ptm/ptmgroupingexperiment.cpp
+++ b/src/grouping/ptm/ptmgroupingexperiment.cpp
@@ -105,6 +105,9 @@ void PtmGroupingExperiment::addPtmIsland(PtmIslandSp ptm_island_sp) {
     }
 
 }
+void PtmGroupingExperiment::setValidationState(ValidationState validation_state) {
+    _peptide_validation_state = validation_state;
+}
 void PtmGroupingExperiment::addProteinMatch(const ProteinMatch* p_protein_match) {
     if (p_protein_match->getValidationState() >= _peptide_validation_state) {
         std::vector< unsigned int > ptm_position_list = getPtmPositions(p_protein_match);
diff --git a/src/grouping/ptm/ptmgroupingexperiment.h b/src/grouping/ptm/ptmgroupingexperiment.h
index 3d8496d7fb787f1ce880fb7bec3910919e81c26c..e7fabb0bf97a111d97850fc91e3a1f57561d492c 100644
--- a/src/grouping/ptm/ptmgroupingexperiment.h
+++ b/src/grouping/ptm/ptmgroupingexperiment.h
@@ -42,6 +42,7 @@ public:
     PtmGroupingExperiment(const PtmGroupingExperiment& other);
     ~PtmGroupingExperiment();
     
+    void setValidationState(ValidationState validation_state);
     void addProteinMatch(const ProteinMatch* p_protein_match);
     void startGrouping();