Communications of the ACM
Byu Researchers Improve Genome Assembly, Stumble Upon Signatures For Genetic Disorders
Brigham Young University Ph.D. student Paul Bodily and a team of researchers have created a new algorithm that can better identify variations in DNA.
Credit: BYU News (UT)
Brigham Young University (BYU) researchers have developed an algorithm that is more sensitive to detecting specific types of variations in DNA sequences.
The researchers used the algorithm to develop a new method for human genome assembly and inadvertently discovered a new way to identify elusive markers for several common genetic disorders.
The researchers found the new algorithm outperforms conventional methods in detecting inversions, a phenomenon in which a DNA sequence gets reversed. Inversions have been shown to be associated with mental retardation, diabetes, epilepsy, schizophrenia, and autism.
The researchers made the algorithm source code freely available to any researchers interested in applying it.
Going forward, the researchers plan to apply the new algorithm on a larger scale. "You can make almost any algorithm look good if you craft the right data set, but ours is based on some pretty fundamental theory," says BYU researcher Paul Bodily. "Theory and practice don't often agree, but I have a lot of hope that when applied to the bigger picture, our approach will work well."
From BYU News (UT)
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