Since its early release in early 2012, the population frequencies from the GO Exome Sequencing Project (ESP) – from the National Heart, Lung and Blood Institute (NHLBI) have been a staple of the genomic community. With the recent release of ExAC exome variant frequencies, the ESP has been surpassed as the largest cohort of publicly available variant frequencies (by nearly… Read more »
In a previous blog post, I demonstrated using VarSeq to directly analyze the whole genomes of 17 supercentenarians. Since then, I have been working with the variant set from these long-lived genomes to prepare a public data track useful for annotation and filtering. Well, we just published the track last week, and I’m excited to share some of the details… Read more »
In recent months we have been updating our public annotation library to include the most recent versions of existing sources, as well as include new sources. All of these annotation sources are compatible with our three major products, VarSeq, SVS, and GenomeBrowse, and can be used for visualization, annotation, and filtering. dbNSFP NS Functional Predictions 2.8, GHI and dbNSFP Predictions… Read more »
Up until a few weeks ago, I thought variant classification was basically a solved problem. I mean, how hard can it be? We look at variants all the time and say things like, “Well that one is probably not too detrimental since it’s a 3 base insertion, but this frameshift is worth looking into.” What we fail to recognize is… Read more »
On my flight back from this year’s Molecular Tri-Conference in San Francisco, I couldn’t help but ruminate over the intriguing talks, engaging round table discussions, and fabulous dinners with fellow speakers. And I kept returning to the topic of how we aggregate, share, and update data in the interest of understanding our genomes. Of course, there were many examples of… Read more »
SVS 7.6.7 features new tools for filtering sequencing data based on functional predictions and allele frequencies. To complement these new features, new annotations tracks have been uploaded to our data server and are now available for our customers! Below you will find descriptions of the new tools and the related annotations track(s).
Recently we have expanded our annotation track offerings with new human variant frequency catalogs such as the 1000 Genomes Phase 1 Data. Of course, we also curate data for plant and animal genomes – some of which are currently available in our software and some of which will be available in our next release. In this blog post, I will… Read more »
If you have ever worked with NGS variant data, you may have come to realize that the first task at hand is the seemingly simple categorization of your variants into two bins: known and novel. Of course, if you’ve ever worked with NGS variant data, you may have also come to the realization that this step is more complex than… Read more »
At Golden Helix, we are proud to support researchers and clinicians worldwide who push the boundaries of precision medicine. Our VarSeq software continues to be instrumental in the analysis and interpretation of genetic data, enabling groundbreaking discoveries and advancements. Recently, several papers have been published that showcase the power and versatility of VarSeq in various research domains, from neurodegenerative diseases… Read more »
In the last year, we have seen a surge in customers moving to whole genome sequencing. Not only does whole genome sequencing provide unparalleled gene coverage compared to whole exome, but depending on the kind of sequencing, you may expect to see additional file types as well. For example, our partners at PacBio will provide an additional VCF containing copy… Read more »
We continue to make significant contributions to the field of genomic analysis through collaborative studies, innovative software solutions, and robust data interpretation methodologies. This blog highlights four recent contributions from our team and collaborators, showcasing the breadth of our research and its implications for clinical practice. Analyzing Performance of Twist Bioscience Exome Enrichment with Spike-in CNV Backbone Panels at Various… Read more »
VarSeq enables users to import structural variants for annotation, filtration, and subsequent clinical or other analyses. Structural variants are often called during secondary analysis as belonging to two broad categories – Copy Number Variants (CNVs) with the file suffix “…_CNV.vcf” and Breakends with the file suffix “…_SV.vcf”. This blog will give some insight into how structural variants are triaged when… Read more »
In this blog post, we will explore the nuances of variant calling and import in the context of VSPGx. We will discuss the importance of integrating must-call variant definitions into the calling processes and provide guidance on incorporating copy number variants (CNVs) and structural variations (SVs) into your PGx analysis workflow. Must Call Variant Files To ensure the optimal performance… Read more »
Bioinformatic freedom is core to the user experience with Golden Helix software, a topic with which you will be well-versed if you’ve kept up on our recent blogs. We are constantly endeavoring to provide our users with powerful tools to tackle complex and impactful next-generation sequencing (NGS) workflows while maintaining transparency and the ability to customize and augment each component… Read more »
We have been building up to the final release of VarSeq 2.6.0 for a couple of weeks now, but we are excited to announce that 2.6.0 is officially available! VarSeq 2.6.0 is an exciting release as this version of VarSeq features the introduction of VSPGx, offering a complete pharmacogenomic workflow, including data import, variant analysis, and report generation. We have… Read more »
Thanks to all of you who were able to attend the live webcast introducing the newest genomic analysis tool within VarSeq, VSPGx! For those of you who could not make it to the live presentation and demonstration, I will fill you in on what we covered. If you would like to watch or re-watch the webcast, you can access the… Read more »
Join Golden Helix at the American College of Medical Genetics and Genomics (ACMG) 2024 conference and discover the latest advances in genetic research. This premier event brings together leading researchers, clinicians, and industry experts to share their insights on cutting-edge topics in medical genetics. Stop by our booth for a live demo of our software, learn about the latest features,… Read more »
We at Golden Helix are thrilled with our recent release of gnomAD v4! The curation of this massive database was a huge undertaking for our development team, but with the addition of new features, we believe it was well worth the wait. This annotation track contains allele frequencies from a more diverse population than ever before, with the addition of… Read more »
The Broad Institute’s release of gnomAD v4 needs no introduction as the data in this release is highly sought after by professionals in the genetics community, and the v4 release has a lot to boast about! The v4 release is roughly five times larger than the v2 and v3 releases combined and includes data from 807,162 total individuals. Naturally, exome… Read more »
Welcome to the exploration of groundbreaking genetic research in ophthalmology. Recent studies have unveiled fascinating insights into the complex interplay between genetics and eye diseases, offering hope and new directions for understanding and treating these conditions. From novel genetic variants linked to microphthalmia and glaucoma to the long-term implications of cataract surgery in childhood, we’re diving into the depths of… Read more »
