VarSeq Update: Support for the Interpretation of Non-coding and Splice Site Variants

         April 15, 2021
Splice site

While VarSeq has always had excellent support for variant interpretation and analysis, we continue to find new edge cases in the clinical literature that improve our interpretation capabilities. In this blog, we will be covering some of the new improvements in VarSeq to support the interpretation of non-coding and splice site variants. Transcript Annotation Improvements Let’s start by covering some… Read more »

Featured in The Journal of Precision Medicine: Implementing the ACMG Guidelines for CNV in a Commercial Software Solution

         April 8, 2021

We are excited to share our latest publication with The Journal of Precision Medicine, “Implementing the ACMG Guidelines for CNV in a Commercial Software Solution”. “In 2020, ACMG in collaboration with the ClinGen working group developed a new set of guidelines for the clinical interpretation of CNVs. While theseguidelines provide a robust set of rules for interpreting intragenic deletions and… Read more »

Webcast Recap: Exome Analysis with VS-CNV and VSClinical: Updated Strategies and Expanded Capabilities

         April 8, 2021
Exome CNV webcast

Thank you to those who attended the recent webcast, “Exome Analysis with VS-CNV & VSClinical: Updated Strategies & Expanded Capabilities”. For those who could not attend but wish to watch, here is a link to the recording. In this webcast, we covered the capabilities and updates that have been incorporated into VarSeq that enhance whole exome sequencing workflows. The new… Read more »

GenomeAsia 100K Variant Frequency Annotation

         March 30, 2021
genomeAsia

The GenomeAsia 100K Variant Frequency database is a pilot annotation source now available to our users. This valuable database offers a deep characterization of specific populations in Asia that can be used to drive genetic studies. GenomeAsia is comprised of whole-genome sequencing data of over 1,000 individuals from 219 populations across Asia. Using this as an annotation, users can analyze… Read more »

Customer Publications – March 2021

         March 25, 2021

Breakthroughs and discoveries in personalized medicine occur every day and here at Golden Helix, we are proud to play a role in so many cutting-edge investigations. It is always my pleasure to provide a brief description of what is only a small sample of our customer success stories over the course of four weeks and this month is no exception…. Read more »

New Assessment Catalogs Improve Saving and Tracking Variant Interpretations

         March 23, 2021

In this blog, we will be covering new assessment catalogs and how they work to improve saving and tracking variant interpretations. VarSeq is a variant analysis tool that effectively analyzes single nucleotide (SNVs) and copy number variants (CNVs) in both cancer and germline workflows.  Because VarSeq enables such diverse variant analysis, there are many research labs and institutions that evaluate… Read more »

Orphanet Annotations in VarSeq

         March 18, 2021

Orphanet is a public database available in VarSeq that aims to improve the current understanding and treatment options for patients affected by rare diseases. This resource was established in France in 1997 and has gradually grown to cover a consortium of over 40 countries in Europe. The primary goal of this database is to provide a universal nomenclature to classify… Read more »

2021 Abstract Competition Winners

         March 16, 2021
2020 Abstract Competition Winners

We would like to thank everyone who entered our 2021 Abstract Competition. It is wonderful to read about the different ways Golden Helix software is being applied around the world. It is our pleasure to announce this year’s winners! First Place: Viney Gupta – All India Institute of Medical Sciences – AIIMS Digenic Inheritance in Juvenile Open-AngleGlaucoma Sign up for… Read more »

Webcast Recap: VSWarehouse: Tracking Changing Variant Evidence and Classifications

         March 11, 2021
VSWarehouse

Thank you to those who attended the recent webcast, “VSWarehouse: Tracking Changing Variant Evidence and Classifications”. For those who could not attend but wish to watch, here is a link to the recording. The webcast covered some general highlights of VSWarehouse value but also presented some specific capabilities covering the ClinVar classification tracker. Golden Helix provides complete solutions to handle… Read more »

Customizing New VSClinical Report Templates

         March 9, 2021
VSClinical Word reporting

Clinical testing labs produce reports as the end product of the NGS variant detection and interpretation workflow. Necessarily, the content, detail, and presentation of the report needs to be specialized to each clinical lab, and potentially each offered test. Our last blog post introduced the new Word-based report templates in VSClinical. In this blog post, we will introduce and explore… Read more »

Implementation of ClinGen Dosage Sensitivity in VSClinical

         March 4, 2021
Clin Gen CNV

The collaboration between the Clinical Genome Resource (ClinGen) consortium and the American College of Medical Genetics (ACMG) recently developed published guidelines for the interpretation of CNVs called on next-generation sequencing data. These new guidelines are the first to provide a robust set of rules for the interpretation of small intragenic deletions and duplications and are now automated in VSClinical.  … Read more »

New eBook Update: Clinical Variant Analysis – Second Edition

         March 4, 2021

This morning I released a new version of my eBook “Clinical Variant Analysis – Second Edition.” The clinical interpretation of variants in Next-Gen Sequencing is a quickly evolving field. While the body of knowledge is growing exponentially, experts have to derive sound, clinical decisions leveraging an ever-expanding set of specialty databases, clinical publications, and algorithms that are designed to predict the… Read more »

New Mendel Error Algorithm in VarSeq

         March 2, 2021
mendel algorithm

In many cases, VarSeq users typically run single trio projects or perhaps an extended family project. Not only are all the inheritance model algorithms available in the VarSeq software to capture de novo, dominant, or recessively inherited variants but there are a number of quality control fields to help ensure the pedigree was set up properly. The last thing any… Read more »

Lock in Annotation Source Versions to Increase Workflow Consistency

         February 25, 2021
Annoation Sources

Next-generation sequencing generates an immense amount of data which is then subject to a multi-step process to establish a validated bioinformatic pipeline. From processing raw sequence data to the detection of genetic mutations, establishing a validated and consistent bioinformatic pipeline makes a huge difference in the quality of patient care and accuracy of results. In this blog, we are focusing… Read more »

Customer Publications February 2021: The Heart Edition

         February 23, 2021
heart

Welcome to our Customer Publications for February 2021. As we commemorate the 57th American Heart Month, it is important to remember why we are wearing red and using #OurHearts. Heart disease is the leading cause of death worldwide. The National Heart, Lung, and Blood Institute urges Americans to do what they can to be heart-healthy and mitigate the risks of… Read more »

New VSClinical ACMG Word Report Templates

         February 18, 2021

The recent release of VarSeq 2.2.2 brings our Word report template system, previously featured in VSClinical AMP, to the VSClinical ACMG workflow. This blog post will describe how to use the Word template system using one of our shipped templates as well as how to start customizing your own templates. We will cover the three different report templates that ship… Read more »

New CNV Tools with VarSeq 2.2.2 Update

         February 16, 2021
copy number variant algorithm

Our latest release of the VarSeq software has had a major upgrade with the addition of the new CNV ACMG guidelines! Here are some recent webcasts we’ve given covering the new guideline tool: Family-Based Workflows in VarSeq and VSClinical A User’s Perspective: ACMG Guidelines for CNVs in VSClinical Not only does VarSeq 2.2.2 come with the new guideline tool, but… Read more »

Webcast Recap: Family-Based Workflows in VarSeq and VSClinical

         February 13, 2021
screen shot from webcast

Thank you for attending the webinar focused on implementing VarSeq and VSClinical for family-based workflows. If you would like to use the webinar as a reference or were not able to attend, you can access it using the following link to view ‘Family-Based Workflows in VarSeq and VSClinical. Here is a brief recap of what we discussed: This webinar demonstrated… Read more »

New Annotation: GnomAD – Gene Constraints

         February 10, 2021
GnomAd screenshot

VarSeq recently received major upgrades in a wide range of areas, one of these areas includes adding annotations such as GnomAD. This includes new fundamental methods of CNV ACMG guideline processing but also a large number of small additions in annotations. One addition is the application of gnomADs – Gene Constraints. This provides various metrics for pathogenicity on a per… Read more »

Applying the Probability Segregation Algorithm for CNV Analysis

         February 4, 2021
Bioinformatics software

There is a multitude of interesting new features that have been incorporated into VarSeq 2.2.2. In this blog, I want to continue the discussion of these features and how each can be incorporated into your workflow, and also discuss the application of the Probability Segregation algorithm for copy number variation (CNV) analysis. The Probability Segregation algorithm is a new algorithm… Read more »