METHOD AND COMPUTER SYSTEM FOR ASSESSING CLASSIFICATION ANNOTATIONS ASSIGNED TO DNA SEQUENCES

摘要

For assessing classification annotations assigned to DNA sequences stored in a reference database, the DNA sequences are grouped by species (S1) using established classification schemes. Subsequently, a measure of distance between pairs of DNA sequences is determined (S41) by aligning (S31) the respective sequences and determining the measure of distance (S41 ) based on a score of similarity between the aligned DNA sequences. Determined are one or more centroid sequences (S42) which have the shortest aggregate measure of distance to the other DNA sequences in the respective group (species). Assigned to the DNA sequences (S5) as a quantitative confidence level for their classification annotations is in each case the measure of distance between the respective DNA sequence and the centroid sequence. The assessment and rating of the classification annotations with these confidence levels make it possible to provide to a user a quantitative indication of the degree of representativeness of a DNA sequence for a particular species.