Author Archives: Golden Helix

Please Help Me Get My Regression Model Set Up!

         July 6, 2011

Golden Helix’ SNP & Variation Suite (SVS) has a Regression Module to enable researchers with varying degrees of statistical knowledge to interrogate their data using regression models to account for potential confounding effects of covariates and interaction terms. While these tools are labeled “basic”, they can be difficult to use and results hard to interpret for those who have only… Read more »

Going Coast to Coast for the Latest NGS News

         June 23, 2011

Last week I was able to attend two very interesting conferences about the latest developments in the analysis of sequence data.  I started the week in San Diego at the Illumina iDEA Conference and finished it in Philadelphia at Children’s Hospital of Philadelphia’s (CHOP) Third Annual Next-Generation Sequencing Symposium.  The Illumina conference was an opportunity to learn about the latest… Read more »

Updates to CNAM Make SVS the Fastest and Most Accurate Copy Number Tool for Common and Rare CNVs

         March 16, 2011

A recent email from a user of SVS: “Your CNAM Optimal Segmentation algorithm is by far the best I ever used and believe me, I’ve tried many. Great use of the GPU for segmentation – it is 3x faster than using my 8 CPUs alone and 25x faster compared to 1 CPU.” SNP & Variation Suite (SVS) version 7.4 introduced… Read more »

Getting Your Research Questions Answered Quickly with the Various Golden Helix Support Mediums

         March 9, 2011

From the Customer Support Desk… At Golden Helix, we place a strong emphasis on customer support and helping our customers use the software to the best of their abilities to answer any research questions they have. Due to such a strong emphasis on customer and technical support, there are numerous sources of help available. These include the low tech option… Read more »

ANOVA, Nonparametric Tests, and More Added to SVS via New Python Capabilities

         March 3, 2011

Our recent blog post about the release of  SNP & Variation Suite v7.4 gave you a sneak peek into what can be achieved with the revamped SVS/Python integration, which includes the incorporation of NumPy and SciPy libraries and new graphical layout capabilities. A Python package (such as SciPy) is similar to an R package, which you may be more familiar… Read more »

Recent Publications on Asthma, Schizophrenia, Peripheral Neuropathy, Rheumatoid Arthritis, Alzheimer Disease, and Esophageal Cancer

         February 17, 2011

As you may have guessed from the title of this post, we’ve had a lot of customers publishing in the first six weeks of 2011. We are always excited to hear about about our customers’ findings and how they were able to use SNP & Variation Suite to accelerate their research. (All abstracts below.) First, in the pharma world, congrats… Read more »

CNV Analysis Tips for Illumina Data

         November 24, 2010

Please see our updated tutorials for CNV Analysis by visiting: http://goldenhelix.com/resources/SNP_Variation/tutorials/index.html The following statement is representative of a common question that is posed to the Golden Helix support team: “I followed all of the steps in the SVS7 CNV analysis tutorial, but my results seem kinda funny. The segment means are skewed to the left and it doesn’t look like… Read more »

Recent Publications on Bladder Cancer, Schizophrenia, Childhood IgA Nephropathy, and Ancestry Markers

         November 5, 2010

Recognition this month begins with Eric Londin at Coriell Institute for Medical Research for his publication in PLoS ONE: “CoAIMs: A Cost-Effective Panel of Ancestry Informative Markers for Determining Continental Origins.” (Abstract below). Also recently published in PLoS ONE is Chiara Magri with Brescia University School of Medicine on her study locating new CNVs in schizophrenia. (Abstract below) Skipping over… Read more »

ASHG 2010 is here!

         November 2, 2010

Well, it’s that time of year again, when the genetics world convenes for the American Society of Human Genetics Annual Meeting. This year, we have the privilege of heading to the nation’s capital for the week of November 2-6. ASHG is always a highlight of our year as Golden Helix employees get the opportunity to talk to so many researchers… Read more »

Conference Report: International Genetic Epidemiology Society and Genetic Analysis Workshop

         October 27, 2010

The week of October 10-16th was a busy time in our industry.  Hundreds of biostatisticians, genetic epidemiologists, and statistical geneticists gathered in Cambridge, MA for the annual conference of the International Genetic Epidemiology Society (IGES) on October 10-12, followed by the biennial Genetic Analysis Workshop (GAW) on October 13-16.  I had the opportunity to participate in both conferences, and I… Read more »

Four New Add-on Scripts Available for Strand Flipping, Histogram Means, and Chi-Squared Calculation

         October 14, 2010

The scripting environment in SVS 7 allows for cross-communication between the powerful Python scripting language and the tools used in data analysis. Scripting is often the most effective way to make new features available to customers prior to new software releases. We often write scripts based on a specific customer’s need and then expand availability to all customers, many who… Read more »

Best Practices for Incorporating Public Genotype Data in Your Study

         October 12, 2010

The Golden Helix sales team recently came to me for recommendations regarding best practices for incorporating public controls in SNP GWAS.  It seems that there has been a surge of questions regarding this practice over the past few weeks from our customers.  Initially, I laughed at the irony of being asked to outline the best practices for what I see… Read more »

Report from Capita Selecta in Complex Disease Analysis Conference in Belgium

         September 14, 2010

How much fun is a person allowed to have when going to a conference? That kind of sums up my personal experience going to the first ever Capita Selecta in Complex Disease Analysis (bi-annual) conference in Leuven, Belgium. Not only was it fun, but the conference program was packed with interesting talks and short courses. Dr. Kristel van Steen and… Read more »

The What, Why, and How of Creating a Genome Map

         August 10, 2010

Including the completion of the Human Genome Project in 2003, scientists have created whole genome sequence maps for over 1,000 species. From maize to oysters, the quest to investigate different species’ genetic code continues. Mapping is the “first step” that provides a baseline for further study into differences between species, the occurrence of certain diseases, and the prevalence of traits… Read more »

Increase Power and Data Quality with Advanced Genotyping and Imputation Methods

         July 30, 2010

Accuracy and completeness of genotype data are among the most important factors for a successful genome-wide association study (GWAS), and must not be taken lightly.  The Golden Helix team is always on the lookout for methods to improve data quality, and we have recently found the BEAGLE and BEAGLECALL software packages to be very useful in this regard.  BEAGLE is… Read more »