U.S. patent application number 16/119976 was filed with the patent office on 2019-05-16 for bioinformatics systems, apparatuses, and methods executed on an integrated circuit processing platform.
The applicant listed for this patent is Edico Genome, Corp.. Invention is credited to Mark Hahm, Robert McMillen, Michael Ruehle, Pieter van Rooyen.
Application Number | 20190147981 16/119976 |
Document ID | / |
Family ID | 56129730 |
Filed Date | 2019-05-16 |
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United States Patent
Application |
20190147981 |
Kind Code |
A1 |
van Rooyen; Pieter ; et
al. |
May 16, 2019 |
Bioinformatics Systems, Apparatuses, and Methods Executed on an
Integrated Circuit Processing Platform
Abstract
A system, method and apparatus for executing a sequence analysis
pipeline on genetic sequence data includes an integrated circuit
formed of a set of hardwired digital logic circuits that are
interconnected by physical electrical interconnects. The hardwired
digital logic circuits are arranged as a set of processing engines,
each processing engine being formed of a subset of the hardwired
digital logic circuits to perform one or more steps in the sequence
analysis pipeline on the reads of genomic data. In various
instances, each subset of the hardwired digital logic circuits may
be formed in a wired configuration to perform one or more steps a
variant call operation.
Inventors: |
van Rooyen; Pieter; (La
Jolla, CA) ; Ruehle; Michael; (La Jolla, CA) ;
McMillen; Robert; (La Jolla, CA) ; Hahm; Mark;
(San Diego, CA) |
|
Applicant: |
Name |
City |
State |
Country |
Type |
Edico Genome, Corp. |
La Jolla |
CA |
US |
|
|
Family ID: |
56129730 |
Appl. No.: |
16/119976 |
Filed: |
August 31, 2018 |
Related U.S. Patent Documents
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Application
Number |
Filing Date |
Patent Number |
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15059221 |
Mar 2, 2016 |
10068054 |
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16119976 |
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15048935 |
Feb 19, 2016 |
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15059221 |
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14284307 |
May 21, 2014 |
9235680 |
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15048935 |
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14279063 |
May 15, 2014 |
9679104 |
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14284307 |
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14158758 |
Jan 17, 2014 |
9483610 |
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14279063 |
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62127232 |
Mar 2, 2015 |
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62119059 |
Feb 20, 2015 |
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61988128 |
May 2, 2014 |
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61984663 |
Apr 25, 2014 |
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61943870 |
Feb 24, 2014 |
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61910868 |
Dec 2, 2013 |
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61823824 |
May 15, 2013 |
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61822101 |
May 10, 2013 |
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61826381 |
May 22, 2013 |
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61753775 |
Jan 17, 2013 |
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62127232 |
Mar 2, 2015 |
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Current U.S.
Class: |
702/19 ;
703/11 |
Current CPC
Class: |
G16B 40/00 20190201;
G06N 3/002 20130101; G16B 30/00 20190201; G16B 50/00 20190201; H03K
19/17736 20130101 |
International
Class: |
G16B 40/00 20060101
G16B040/00; G16B 50/00 20060101 G16B050/00; G06N 3/00 20060101
G06N003/00; H03K 19/177 20060101 H03K019/177; G16B 30/00 20060101
G16B030/00 |
Claims
1. A system for executing a Hidden Markov Model (HMM) analysis on
genetic sequence data, the genetic sequence data including a read
of genomic data and a reference and/or haplotype sequence, the
system comprising: one or more memories for storing the read of
genomic sequence data and the reference and/or haplotype sequence,
each of the read of genomic sequence data and the reference and/or
haplotype sequence comprising a sequence of nucleotides; and an
integrated circuit formed of a plurality of hardwired digital logic
circuits that are interconnectable by a plurality of physical
electrical interconnects, one or more of the plurality of physical
electrical interconnects comprising a memory interface for the
integrated circuit to access the memory, the plurality of hardwired
digital logic circuits including at least a first subset of
hardwired digital logic circuits, the first subset of hardwired
digital logic circuits being arranged as a first set of processing
engines, a first set of processing engines to perform one or more
steps in the HMM analysis on the read of genomic sequence data and
the haplotype sequence, the first set of processing engines
comprising an HMM module in a first configuration of the subset of
hardwired digital logic circuits to access from the one or more
memories, via the memory interface, at least some of the sequence
of nucleotides in the read of genomic sequence data and the
haplotype sequence data, and to perform the HMM analysis on the at
least some of the sequence of nucleotides in the read of genomic
sequence data and the at least some of the sequence of nucleotides
in the haplotype sequence to produce HMM result data; and one or
more of the plurality of physical electrical interconnects
comprising an output from the integrated circuit for communicating
the HMM result data from the HMM module.
Description
CROSS REFERENCE TO RELATED APPLICATIONS
[0001] This application is a continuation of U.S. patent
application Ser. No. 15/059,221, filed Mar. 2, 2016, which claims
the benefit of U.S. Provisional Application Ser. No. 62/127,232,
filed Mar. 2, 2015.
[0002] U.S. patent application Ser. No. 15/059,221, filed Mar. 2,
2016, is also a continuation in part of U.S. patent application
Ser. No. 15/048,935, filed Feb. 19, 2016, which claims the benefit
of U.S. Provisional Application Ser. No. 62/119,059, filed on Feb.
20, 2015 and U.S. Provisional Application Ser. No. 62/127,232,
filed on Mar. 2, 2015.
[0003] U.S. patent application Ser. No. 15/048,935, filed Feb. 19,
2016, is a continuation in part of U.S. patent application Ser. No.
14/284,307, filed May 21, 2014, now U.S. Pat. No. 9,235,680, which
is a continuation of U.S. patent application Ser. No. 14/279,063,
filed May 15, 2014, now U.S. Pat. No. 9,679,104, which claims the
benefit of U.S. Provisional Application Ser. No. 61/988,128 filed
May 2, 2014, U.S. Provisional Application Ser. No. 61/984,663 filed
Apr. 25, 2014, and U.S. Provisional Application Ser. No. 61/943,870
filed Feb. 24, 2014.
[0004] U.S. patent application Ser. No. 14/279,063 is also a
continuation-in-part of patent application Ser. No. 14/158,758,
filed Jan. 17, 2014, now U.S. Pat. No. 9,483,610, which claims the
benefit of U.S. Provisional Application Ser. No. 61/910,868, filed
Dec. 2, 2013, U.S. Provisional Application Ser. No. 61/823,824,
filed May 15, 2013, U.S. Provisional Application Ser. No.
61/822,101, filed May 10, 2013, U.S. Provisional Application Ser.
No. 61/826,381 filed May 22, 2013, and U.S. Provisional Application
Ser. No. 61/753,775 field Jan. 17, 2013.
[0005] The disclosures of the above-identified patent applications
are hereby incorporated by reference in their entirety.
TECHNICAL FIELD
[0006] The subject matter described herein relates to
bioinformatics, and more particularly to systems, apparatuses, and
methods for implementing bioinformatic protocols, such as
performing one or more functions for analyzing genomic data on an
integrated circuit, such as on a hardware processing platform.
BACKGROUND
[0007] A goal for health care researchers and practitioners is to
improve the safety, quality, and effectiveness of health care for
every patient. Personalized health care is directed to achieving
these goals on an individual level. For instance, "genomics" and/or
"bioinformatics" are fields of study that aim to facilitate the
safety, the quality, and the effectiveness of prophylactic and
therapeutic treatments on a personalized, individual level.
Accordingly, by employing genomics and/or bioinformatics
techniques, the identity of an individual's genetic makeup, e.g.,
his or hers genes, may be determined and that knowledge may be used
in the development of therapeutic and/or prophylactic regimens,
including drug treatments, that are personalized to the individual,
thus, enabling medicine to be tailored to meet each person's
individual needs.
[0008] The desire to provide personalized care to individuals is
transforming the health care system. This transformation of the
health care system is likely to be powered by breakthrough
innovations at the intersection of medical science and information
technology such as is represented by the fields of genomics and
bioinformatics. Accordingly, genomics and bioinformatics are key
foundations upon which this future will be built. Science has
evolved dramatically since the first human genome was fully
sequenced in 2000 at a total cost of over $1 Billion. Today, we are
on the verge of high resolution sequencing at a cost of less than
$1K per genome, making it economically feasible for the first time
to move out of the research lab and into widespread adoption for
medical care. Genomic data, therefore, may become a vital input to
diagnostic screening, therapeutic and/or prophylactic drug
discovery, and/or disease treatment.
[0009] More particularly, genomics and bioinformatics are fields
concerned with the application of information technology and
computer science to the field of molecular biology. In particular,
bioinformatics techniques can be applied to process and analyze
various genomic data, such as from an individual so as to determine
qualitative and quantitative information about that data that can
then be used by various practitioners in the development of
prophylactic and therapeutic methods for preventing or at least
ameliorating diseased states, and thus, improving the safety,
quality, and effectiveness of health care on an individualized
level.
[0010] Because of its focus on advancing personalized healthcare,
bioinformatics, therefore, promotes individualized healthcare that
is proactive, instead of reactive, and this gives the patient the
opportunity to become more involved in their own wellness.
Typically, this can be achieved through two guiding principles.
First, federal leadership can be provided to support research that
addresses these individual aspects of disease and disease
prevention, such as with the ultimate goal of shaping diagnostic
and preventative care to match each person's unique genetic
characteristics. Additionally, a "network of networks" may be
created to aggregate health care data to help researchers establish
patterns and identify genetic "definitions" to existing
diseases.
[0011] An advantage of employing bioinformatics technologies in
such instances is that the qualitative and/or quantitative analyses
of molecular biological data can be performed on a broader range of
sample sets at a much higher rate of speed and often times more
accurately, thus expediting the emergence of a personalized
healthcare system.
[0012] Accordingly, in various instances, the molecular data to be
processed in a bioinformatics based platform typically concerns
genomic data, such as Deoxyribonucleic acid (DNA) and/or
Ribonucleic acid (RNA) data. For example, a well-known method for
generating DNA and/or RNA data involves DNA/RNA sequencing. DNA/RNA
sequencing can be performed manually, such as in a lab, or may be
performed by an automated sequencer, such as at a core sequencing
facility, for the purpose of determining the genetic makeup of a
sample of an individual's genetic material, e.g., DNA and/or RNA.
The person's genetic information may then be used in comparison to
a referent, such as a reference sequence, haplotype, or theoretical
haplotype, so as to determine its variance therefrom. Such variant
information may then be subjected to further processing and used to
determine or predict the occurrence of a diseased state in the
individual.
[0013] For instance, manual or automated DNA/RNA sequencing may be
employed to determine the sequence of nucleotide bases in a sample
of DNA/RNA, such as a sample obtained from a subject. Using various
different genomics techniques these sequences may then be strung
together to generate the genomic sequence of the subject. This
sequence may then be compared to a reference genomic sequence to
determine how the genomic sequence of the subject varies from that
of the reference. Such a process involves determining the variants
in the sampled sequence and presents a central challenge to
genomics and bioinformatics methodologies.
[0014] For example, a central challenge in DNA sequencing is
building full-length genomic sequences, e.g., chromosomal
sequences, from a sample of genetic material that can be compared
to a reference genomic sequence such as to determine the variants
in the sampled full-length genomic sequences. In particular, the
methods employed in sequencing protocols do not produce full-length
chromosomal sequences of the sample DNA.
[0015] Rather, sequence fragments, typically from 100-1,000
nucleotides in length, are produced without any indication as to
where in the genome they align. Therefore, in order to generate
full length chromosomal genomic constructs, these fragments of DNA
sequences, called "reads" need to be mapped, aligned, merged,
sorted, and/or compared to a reference genomic sequence. Through
such processes the variants of the sample genomic sequences from
the reference genomic sequences may be determined.
[0016] However, as the human genome is comprised of approximately
3.1 billion base pairs, and as each sequence fragment, or read, is
typically only from 100 to 500 or 1000 nucleotides in length, the
time and effort that goes into building such full length genomic
sequences and determining the variants therein is quite extensive
often requiring the use of several different computer resources
applying several different algorithms over prolonged periods of
time.
[0017] In a particular instance, thousands to millions of fragments
of DNA sequences are generated, aligned, sorted, and merged in
order to construct a genomic sequence that approximates a
chromosome in length. A step in this process may include comparing
the DNA fragments to a reference sequence to determine where in the
genome the fragments align.
[0018] A number of such steps are involved in building chromosome
length sequences and in determining the variants of the sampled
genetic sequence. Accordingly, a wide variety of methods have been
developed for performing these steps. For instance, there exist
commonly used software implementations for performing one or a
series of such steps in a bioinformatics system. However, a common
characteristic of such software based bioinformatics methods and
systems is that they are labor intensive, take a long time to
execute on general purpose processors, and are prone to errors.
[0019] A genomics and/or bioinformatics system, therefore, that
could perform the algorithms implemented by such software in a less
labor and/or processing intensive manner with a greater percentage
accuracy would be useful. However, even as we approach the "$1000
Genome", the cost of analyzing, storing, and sharing this raw
digital data has far outpaced the cost of producing it. This data
analysis bottleneck is a key obstacle standing between these
ever-growing raw data and the real medical insight we seek from
it.
[0020] Accordingly, presented herein are systems, apparatuses, and
methods for implementing a genomics and/or bioinformatic protocols,
such as for performing one or more functions for analyzing genomic
data, for instance, via software implementations and/or on an
integrated circuit, such as on a hardware processing platform. For
example, as set forth herein below, in various implementations, a
combination of software implementable and/or hardware accelerator
solutions, such as including an integrated circuit and software for
interacting with the same, may be employed in performing such
genomics and/or bioinformatics related tasks where the integrated
circuit may be formed of one or more hardwired digital logic
circuits, which may be interconnected by a plurality of physical
electrical interconnects, that can be arranged as a set of
processing engines, wherein each processing engine is capable of
being configured to perform one or more steps in a bioinformatics
genetic analysis protocol. An advantage of this arrangement is that
the genomics and/or bioinformatics related tasks may be performed
in a manner that is faster than the software alone such as
typically engaged for performing such tasks. Such hardware
accelerator technology, however, is currently not typically
employed in the genomics and/or bioinformatics space.
SUMMARY
[0021] This present disclosure is related to performing a task such
as in a genomics and/or bioinformatics protocol. In various
instances, a plurality of tasks are performed, and in some
instances these tasks are performed in a manner so as to form a
pipeline, wherein each task and/or its substantial completion acts
as a building block for each subsequent task until a desired end
result is achieved. Accordingly, in various embodiments, the
present disclosure is directed to performing one or more methods on
one or more apparatuses wherein the methods and/or apparatuses has
been optimized, such as for performing those methods. In certain
embodiments, the one or more methods and/or one or more apparatuses
are formulated into one or more systems.
[0022] For instance, in certain aspects, the present disclosure is
directed to systems, apparatuses, and methods for implementing
genomics and/or bioinformatic protocols such as, in various
instances, for performing one or more functions for producing
and/or analyzing genetic data employing innovative software and/or
on an integrated circuit, such as implemented in a combination
software and/or hardware processing platform. For example, in one
aspect, a genomics and/or bioinformatics system is provided. The
system may involve the performance of various genomics production
and/or bioanalytical analysis functions that have been optimized so
as to be performed faster and/or with increased accuracy. The
methods for performing these functions may be implemented in
software or hardware solutions.
[0023] Accordingly, in certain instances, methods are presented
where the method involves the data production and/or acquisition
and/or analysis that may include the performance of one or more
algorithms where the algorithm(s) has been optimized in accordance
with the manner, e.g., software, hardware, or a combination of
both, in which it is to be implemented. In particular, where an
algorithm is to be implemented in a software solution, the
algorithm and/or its attendant processes, may be optimized so as to
be performed faster and/or with better accuracy for execution by
that media. Likewise, where the functions of an algorithm are to be
implemented in a hardware solution, the hardware has been designed
to perform these functions and/or their attendant processes in an
optimized manner so as to be performed faster and/or with better
accuracy for execution by that media. Further, where the functions
involve a combination of both software and/or hardware solutions,
these functions and their attendant processes have been designed
and configured to work seamlessly together to achieve heretofore
unattainable speed while maintaining or enhancing accuracy.
[0024] Hence, in one aspect, presented herein are systems,
apparatuses, and methods for implementing genomics and/or
bioinformatic protocols, such as for performing one or more
functions for generating and/or analyzing genetic data, for
instance, via one or more developed and/or optimized algorithms
and/or on one or more optimized integrated circuits, such as on one
or more hardware processing platforms. In one instance, methods are
provided for implementing one or more algorithms for the
performance of one or more steps for generating and/or analyzing
genomic data, such as genetic sequence data, in a genomics and/or
bioinformatics protocol. In another instance, methods are provided
for implementing the functions of one or more algorithms for the
performance of one or more steps for analyzing genomic data in a
bioinformatics protocol, wherein the functions are at least
partially implemented on an integrated circuit such as formed of
one or more hardwired digital logic circuits. In such an instance,
the hardwired digital logic circuits may be interconnected, such as
by one or a plurality of physical electrical interconnects, and may
be arranged in one or more subsets of hardwired digital logic
circuits, which function as one or more processing engines.
Accordingly, in various instances, a plurality of hardwired digital
logic circuits are provided, which hardwired digital logic circuits
are configured as a set of processing engines, wherein each
processing engine is capable of performing one or more steps in a
genomics and/or bioinformatics genetic production and/or analysis
protocol, such as a bioinformatics processing pipeline.
[0025] More particularly, in one instance, a system for producing
genetic sequence data, e.g., including devices and methods for
nucleic acid sequencing, and/or for executing a sequence analysis
pipeline on such genetic sequence data is provided. The system may
include one or more of an electronic data source, such as
associated with a DNA/RNA sequencing apparatus, such as herein
described, a memory, and/or an integrated circuit. For instance, in
one embodiment, an electronic data source is included, where in the
electronic data source may be configured for generating and/or
providing one or more digital signals, such as a digital signal
representing one or more reads of genetic data, for example, where
each read of genomic data includes a sequence of nucleotides.
Further, the memory may be configured for storing one or more
genetic reference sequences, one or more reference sequences, and
may further be configured for storing an index, such as an index of
the one or more genetic reference sequences and/or annotated splice
junction data pertaining to the genetic sequences.
[0026] Further still, a device and/or method for producing genetic
sequence data is provided. For example, an approach to DNA/RNA
analysis, such as for genetic diagnostics and/or sequencing,
involving one or more of nucleic acid hybridization, detection,
and/or sequencing reactions is provided. In various instances, the
approach may include hybridization and/or detection devices and/or
procedures for implementing one or more of the following steps.
Particularly, for genetic analysis, an RNA or DNA sample of a
subject to be analyzed may be isolated and immobilized, e.g.,
directly and/or indirectly, on a substrate, such as a substrate
containing a chemically sensitive one-dimensional (1-D) and/or
two-dimensional (2D) reaction layer, and a probe of a known or to
be detected genetic sequence, e.g., a disease marker, may be washed
across the substrate, or vice versa. In various instances, one or
more of the subject's DNA or RNA sample and/or the probe may be
labeled.
[0027] In other instances, such as where the substrate includes a
1D or 2D, e.g., graphene, reaction layer, and/or other chemically
sensitive reaction layer, a label or probe, such as a chemical or
radioactive label may not be necessary and/or included. In either
instance, if the disease marker is present, a binding event will
occur, e.g., hybridization, and because the hybridization event is
detectable, e.g., via a labeled analyte or probe and/or via the
suitably configured reaction layer, as herein presented, the
presence of the disease marker will be detected. If the disease
marker is not present, there will be no reaction and therefore no
detection. Of course, in some instances, the absence of a binding
event may be the indicative event. Hence, the system may be
configured such that the hybridization event may either be or not
be detected thereby indicating the presence or absence of the
disease marker in the subject's sample.
[0028] Likewise, for DNA and/or RNA sequencing, first, an unknown
nucleic acid sequence the nucleotide identity of which is to be
determined, e.g., a single-stranded sequence of DNA or RNA of a
subject, is isolated, amplified, and immobilized on a substrate,
which, as described herein may include a 1D, 2D, e.g., graphene
layer, and/or other configured reaction layer thereon. Next, a
known nucleic acid, e.g., a nucleotide base, which may be labeled
with an identifiable tag is contacted with the unknown nucleic acid
sequence in the presence of a polymerase. As noted, where the
reaction event occurs proximate a suitably configured reaction
layer, e.g., a graphene containing reaction layer, a tagged or
labeled reactant need not be included. Hence, when hybridization
occurs, the nucleotide binds to its complementary base in the
unknown sequence, e.g., the sample DNA or RNA being sequenced, and
is thus immobilized to the nucleic acid sample sequence on the
surface of the substrate, such as proximate the reaction layer. The
binding event can then be detected, e.g., optically, electrically,
and/or via a suitably detectable reaction occurring at the reaction
layer. These steps are then repeated until the entire DNA or RNA
sample has been completely sequenced. Typically, these steps are
performed by a Next Gen Sequencer, as is known in the art, or they
may be performed in accordance with the devices and methods herein
described, such that thousands to millions of sequencing reactions
may be performed and/or processed concurrently and digital data
produced as a result thereof may be streamed and/or analyzed in
conjunction with the innovative sequencing devices and processes
disclosed herein such as in a multiplex genomics and/or
bioinformatics processing pipeline.
[0029] For instance, in one aspect, such as with respect to the
innovative sequencing devices herein presented, an appropriately
configured sequencing platform may be provided as a field effect
transistor (FET) containing a chemical reaction layer such as for
use in performing a hybridization and/or sequencing reaction.
Particularly, such a field effect transistor (FET) may be
fabricated on a primary structure, such as a wafer, e.g., a silicon
wafer. In various instances, the primary structure may include one
or more additional structures, for instance, in a stacked
configuration, such as an insulator material layer. For example, an
insulator material may be included on top of the silicon wafer
primary structure, and may be an inorganic material, such as a
silicon oxide, e.g., a silicon dioxide, or a silicon nitride, or an
organic material, such as a polyimide, BCB, or other like
material.
[0030] The primary structure and/or insulator layer may include a
further structure containing one or more of a conductive source
and/or a conductive drain, such as separated one from another by a
space, e.g., forming a channel, and embedded in the primary
structure and/or insulator material layer and/or may be planar with
a top and/or bottom surface of the insulator so as to form a top
and/or bottom gate. In various instances, the structures, e.g., the
silicon wafer and accompanying structure(s), may further include or
otherwise be associated with an integrated circuit, such as a
processor, e.g., a microprocessor, for processing the generated
data, such as sensor derived data, e.g., data derived as a result
of a sequencing reaction, e.g., proximate the gate region.
Accordingly, the plurality of structures may be configured as, or
otherwise include, an integrated circuit, and/or may be present as
an ASIC, a structured ASIC, or an FPGA.
[0031] Particularly, one or more of these structures may be
configured as a complementary metal-oxide semiconductor (CMOS),
which in turn may be configured as a chemically-sensitive FET
sensor containing one or more of a conductive source, a conductive
drain, and/or a reaction region, such as a gate region, which
itself may include a micro- or nano-channel, chamber, and/or well
configuration, which sensor may be adapted so as to communicate
with a processor. For instance, the FET may include a CMOS
configuration having or otherwise being associated with an
integrated circuit that is fabricated on a silicon wafer, which
further includes an insulator layer, which insulator layer includes
a conductive source and a conductive drain embedded in the
insulator layer, which source and drain may be composed of metal,
such as a damascene copper. In various instances, the CMOS and
relevant structures may include a surface, e.g., a top surface,
which surface may include a channel and/or a chamber so as to form
a reaction well where the surface of the reaction well may be
configured to extend, e.g., lengthwise, from the conductive source
to the conductive drain and be adapted to receive various reagents
instrumental in performing a biochemical reaction, such as a DNA or
RNA hybridization and/or sequencing reaction.
[0032] In certain instances, the surface and/or channel and/or
chamber may include a one-dimensional transistor material, a
two-dimensional transistor material, a three-dimensional transistor
material, and/or the like. In various instances, a one-dimensional
(1D) transistor material may be included, which 1D material may be
composed of one or more, e.g., a plurality of carbon nanotube(s) or
semiconductor nanowire(s), which in various instances may be formed
as a sheet or a channel, and/or in various instances may include a
nanopore, although in many instances, a nanopore is not included
nor necessary. In various instances, a two-dimensional (2D)
transistor material may be included, which 2D material may include
a graphene layer, silicene, molybdenum disulfide, black
phosphorous, metal dichalcogenides, and/or other such materials. A
three-dimensional (3D) configuration may also be present. In
various instances, the surface and/or channel may include a
dielectric layer. Additionally, in various instances, a reaction
layer, e.g., an oxide layer, may be disposed on the surface and/or
within the channel and/or chamber, such as layered or otherwise
deposited on the 1D, 2D, e.g., graphene, or 3D layer(s). Such an
oxide layer may be an aluminum oxide or a silicon oxide, such as
silicon dioxide. In various instances, a passivation layer may be
disposed on the surface and/or channel and/or within the chamber,
such as layered or otherwise deposited on the 1D, 2D, e.g.,
graphene, or 3D layer(s) and/or on an associated reaction layer on
the surface and/or channel and/or chamber.
[0033] Accordingly, in particular instances, the primary and/or
secondary and/or tertiary structures of the transistor may be
fabricated or otherwise configured so as to include a chamber or
well structure in and/or on the surface of the substrate, e.g., in
a manner so as to form a reaction region. For instance, a well
structure may be positioned on a portion of a surface, e.g., an
exterior surface, of the primary and/or secondary and/or tertiary
structures. In some instances, the well structure may be configured
as a micro- or nano-chamber and may be formed on top of, or may
otherwise include, at least a portion of the 1D, 2D, e.g.,
graphene, and/or 3D material, and/or may additionally include the
reaction, e.g., oxide, and/or passivation layers. In various
instances, the chamber and/or well structure may define an opening,
such as an opening that allows access to an interior of the
chamber, such as allowing direct contact with the 1D, e.g., carbon
nanotube or nanowire, 2D, e.g., graphene, or 3D surface and/or
channel and/or chamber. In particular instances, the chamber and/or
well may be dimensioned so as to be a micro- or nano-chamber.
[0034] Accordingly, a further aspect of the present disclosure is a
bio-sensor such as for performing a nucleic acid sequencing
reaction. The bio-sensor includes a CMOS structure that may be
configured as a chemically sensitive FET sensor and may include a
metal containing source and drain, e.g., a damascene copper source
and/or drain, that further includes a surface, such as a reaction
region that includes a 1D or 2D layered, e.g., a graphene layered,
or 3D surface that extends from the source to the drain.
Particularly, the reaction region may include or otherwise be
configured as a well or chamber structure that may be positioned on
or in a portion of an exterior surface of the 1D, 2D, or 3D layered
well. In such an instance, the well structure may be configured so
as to define an opening that allows for direct contact with the
nanotube, nanowire, and/or graphene well or chamber surface. In
various instances, an oxide and/or passivation layer may be
disposed in or on the chamber surfaces. Hence, in certain
instances, a chemically-sensitive transistor, such as a field
effect transistor (FET) including one or more nano- or micro-wells
for performing a sequencing reaction may be provided.
[0035] In some embodiments, the chemically-sensitive field effect
transistor may include a plurality of wells and may be configured
as an array, e.g., a sensor array. Such an array or arrays may be
employed such as to detect a presence and/or concentration change
of various analyte types in a wide variety of chemical and/or
biological processes, including DNA and/or RNA hybridization and/or
DNA and/or RNA sequencing reactions. For instance, the devices
herein described, and/or systems including the same, may be
employed in a method for the analysis of biological or chemical
materials, such as for whole genome sequencing and/or analysis,
genome typing analysis, micro-array analysis, panels analysis,
exome analysis, micro-biome analysis, and/or clinical analysis,
such as cancer analysis, NIPT analysis, and/or UCS analysis and the
like.
[0036] Hence, in a particular embodiment, a graphene FET (gFET)
array may be employed to facilitate DNA and/or RNA sequencing and
processing techniques, such as in a genetic analysis
pipeline-on-a-chip, as herein described. For example, a CMOS FET,
e.g., a graphene FET (gFET) array, may be configured to include a
reaction well that includes a reaction layer that is adapted to
detect changes in hydrogen ion concentration (pH), changes in other
analyte concentrations, and/or binding events associated with
chemical processes such as related to DNA and/or RNA synthesis,
such as within a gated reaction chamber or well of the gFET based
sensor. Such a chemically-sensitive field effect transistor may
include or be adapted to associate with one or more integrated
circuits and/or be adapted to increase the measurement sensitivity
and/or accuracy of the sensor and/or associated array(s), such as
by including one or more surfaces within the reaction chamber or
well having at least one surface layered with a 1D and/or 2D and/or
3D material, a dielectric or reaction layer, a passivation layer,
and/or the like.
[0037] Accordingly, an aspect of the present disclosure may include
one or more integrated circuits that may be formed of one or more
sets of hardwired digital logic circuits, such as where a set of
the hardwired digital logic circuits are interconnected, e.g., by a
plurality of physical electrical interconnects or interfaces, and
may be adapted so as to participate in the performance and/or
detection of a DNA or RNA hybridization and/or sequencing reaction,
e.g., primary processing, and/or may further be adapted for
processing the results thereof, e.g., such as in one or more
secondary and/or tertiary processing steps. In such instances, the
integrated circuit may include an input, such as via one or more of
the plurality of physical electrical interconnects or interfaces,
so as to be connected with an electronic data generating source,
such as a sequencing CMOS FET of the disclosure and/or a Next Gen
Sequencer, which is configured for generating such data, e.g., in
the form of a plurality of sequenced segments, e.g., reads, of
genomic data. In particular instances, the one or more integrated
circuits may include a set of hardwired digital logic circuits that
are configured for performing a secondary and/or tertiary
processing analysis pipeline on the generated reads of genomic
data, and may therefore be connected to the electronic data
generating source such as through the one or more of the associated
interconnects or interfaces.
[0038] In such an instance, the hardwired digital logic circuits of
the integrated circuit and/or associated interconnects and/or
interfaces may be configured so as to be able to receive the one or
more reads of genomic data, e.g., from the electronic data source.
In particular instances, one or more of the hardwired digital logic
circuits may be arranged as a set of processing engines, such as
where each processing engine is formed of a subset of the hardwired
digital logic circuits, and is configured so as to perform one or
more steps in the sequencing and/or analysis pipeline, such as on
the plurality of reads of genomic data. In such instances, each
subset of the hardwired digital logic circuits may, in certain
instances, be in a wired, e.g., hardwired, configuration so as to
perform the one or more steps in the sequence and/or analysis
pipeline. However, as indicated above, one or more of the steps in
the sequence and/or analysis pipeline may be configured so as to be
implemented in software, such as where the software and/or hardware
have been adapted to operate in an optimized manner with respect to
each other.
[0039] Accordingly, in various instances, a plurality of hardwired
digital logic circuits are provided wherein the hardwired digital
logic circuits are arranged as a set of processing engines, wherein
one or more of the processing engines may include one or more of a
sequencing module and/or a mapping module and/or an alignment
module and/or a sorting module and/or variant call module and/or
one or more tertiary processing modules as herein described. For
instance, in various embodiments, the one or more of the processing
engines may include a mapping module, which mapping module may be
in a wired configuration and further be configured for
communicating with a memory or other suitably configured register,
on the device or otherwise associated therewith, e.g., via a
suitably configured interconnect or interface, so as to access an
index containing one or more of a genetic reference sequence(s),
one or more reads of generated sequencing data, and/or a splice
junction index (e.g., in the case of RNA sequencing), and employing
the same so as to perform one or more mapping operations.
[0040] Particularly, a suitably configured processing engine(s) may
include or may otherwise be adapted as a mapping module for
performing one or more mapping operations, such as including
accessing an index of the one or more genetic reference sequences
from the memory, such as by one or more of the plurality of
physical electronic interconnects, for example, so as to map the
plurality of reads to one or more segments of the one or more
genetic reference sequences. Additionally, in various embodiments,
the one or more of the processing engines may include an alignment
module, which alignment module may be in the wired configuration
and may be configured for accessing the one or more genetic
reference sequences from the memory, such as by one or more of the
plurality of physical electronic interconnects, for example, so as
to align the plurality of reads to the one or more segments of the
one or more genetic reference sequences.
[0041] Further, in various embodiments, the one or more of the
processing engines may include a sorting module, which sorting
module may be in the wired configuration and may be configured for
accessing the one or more aligned reads from the memory, such as by
one or more of the plurality of physical electronic interconnects,
for example, so as to sort each aligned read, such as according to
its one or more positions in the one or more genetic reference
sequences. In such instances, the one or more of the plurality of
physical electrical interconnects may include an output from the
integrated circuit, such as for communicating result data from the
mapping module and/or the alignment module and/or the sorting
module. Furthermore, in particular embodiments, as indicated above,
one or more of the processing engines may be configured for
interacting with various software and/or hardware implemented
processing functions, such as via one or more interconnects, e.g.,
a plurality of physical electronic interconnects, for performing
one or more steps in the analysis pipeline including implementing
one or more of DNA and/or RNA sequencing protocols and/or a variant
call protocol.
[0042] In various instances, the one or more integrated circuit(s)
may include a master controller so as to establish the wired
configuration for each subset of the hardwired digital logic
circuits, for instance, for performing the one or more of mapping,
aligning, sorting, and/or variant calling function, which functions
may be configured as one or more steps in a sequence analysis
pipeline and/or may include the performance of one or more aspects
of a sequencing and/or variant call function. Further, in various
embodiments, the one or more integrated circuits herein disclosed
may be configured as a field programmable gate array (FPGA) having
hardwired digital logic circuits, such as where the wired
configuration may be established upon manufacture of the integrated
circuit, and thus may be non-volatile. In other various
embodiments, the integrated circuit may be configured as an
application specific integrated circuit (ASIC) having hardwired
digital logic circuits. In other various embodiments, the
integrated circuit may be configured as a structured application
specific integrated circuit (Structured ASIC) having hardwired
digital logic circuits.
[0043] In certain instances, the CMOS FET sequencing and/or
biosensor as well as the one or more integrated circuits and/or
associated memories may be housed on an expansion card, such as a
peripheral component interconnect (PCI) card, for instance, in
various embodiments, an integrated circuit(s) of the disclosure may
be a chip that is associated with a PCIe card. In various
instances, the integrated circuit and/or chip may be a component
within a sequencer, such as an automated sequencer employing a FET
sensor array and/or an NGS, and/or in other embodiments, the
integrated circuit and/or expansion card may be accessible via the
internet, e.g., via the cloud. Further, in some instances, the
memory may be a volatile random access memory (RAM) or DRAM.
[0044] Accordingly, in one aspect, an apparatus for executing one
or more steps of a sequence analysis pipeline, such as on genetic
data, is provided wherein the genetic data includes one or more of
a genetic reference sequence(s), an index of the one or more
genetic reference sequence(s), an index of one or more splice
junctions, e.g., an annotated splice junction index or table,
and/or a plurality of reads, such as of genetic data, e.g., DNA or
RNA. In various instances, the apparatus may include an integrated
circuit, which integrated circuit may include one or more, e.g., a
set, of hardwired digital logic circuits, wherein the set of
hardwired digital logic circuits may be interconnected, such as by
one or a plurality of physical electrical interconnects or other
suitably configured interfaces. In certain instances, the one or
more of the plurality of physical electrical interconnects may
include an input, such as for receiving the plurality of reads of
genomic data, such as from a sequencing device as disclosed herein.
Additionally, the set of hardwired digital logic circuits may
further be in a wired configuration, so as to access the index of
the one or more genetic reference sequences and/or annotative
splice junctions, via one of the plurality of physical electrical
interconnects, and to map the plurality of reads of DNA and/or RNA
to one or more segments of the one or more genetic reference
sequences, such as according to the index or indexes.
[0045] In various embodiments, the index may include one or more
hash tables, such as a primary and/or secondary hash table and/or a
splice junction table. For instance, a primary hash table may be
included, wherein in such an instance, the set of hardwired digital
logic circuits may be configured to do one or more of: extracting
one or more seeds of genetic data from the plurality of reads of
genetic data; executing a primary hash function, such as on the one
or more seeds of genetic data so as to generate a lookup address
for each of the one or more seeds; and accessing the primary hash
table using the lookup address so as to provide a location in the
one or more genetic reference sequences for each of the one or more
seeds of genetic data. In various instances, the one or more seeds
of genetic data may have a fixed number of nucleotides.
[0046] Further, in various embodiments, the index may include a
secondary hash table, such as where the set of hardwired digital
logic circuits is configured for at least one of extending at least
one of the one or more seeds with additional neighboring
nucleotides, so as to produce at least one extended seed of genetic
data; executing a hash function, e.g., a secondary hash function,
on the at least one extended seed of genetic data, so as to
generate a second lookup address for the at least one extended
seed; and accessing the secondary hash table, e.g., using the
second lookup address, so as to provide a location in the one or
more genetic reference sequences for each of the at least one
extended seed of genetic data. In various instances, the secondary
hash function may be executed by the set of hardwired digital logic
circuits, such as when the primary hash table returns an extend
record instructing the set of hardwired digital logic circuits to
extend the at least one of the one or more seeds with the
additional neighboring nucleotides. In certain instances, the
extend record may specify the number of additional neighboring
nucleotides by which the at least one or more seeds is extended,
and/or the manner in which the seed is to be extended, e.g.,
equally by an even number of "x" nucleotides to each end of the
seed. And thus, the various generated DNA reads may be mapped
against a referent sequence.
[0047] Furthermore, as is known, DNA codes for genes. However, in
order for a gene to be expressed, its genetic code needs to be
transcribed and translated into proteins. Specifically, a gene may
be transcribed within the nucleus of a cell by RNA polymerase
enzymes into a messenger RNA (mRNA) transcript or other types of
RNA (e.g., a transfer RNA). The immediate RNA transcript is a
single-stranded copy of the gene, except that DNA thymine (T) bases
are transcribed into RNA Uracil (U) bases. But immediately after
this copy is produced, its sequence includes both various intron-
and exon copies, where the various intron-copies usually need to be
spliced out, e.g., by spliceosomes, leaving only the exon-copies
that are to be concatenated together at "splice junctions" (which
are not thereafter directly evident), so as to form codon regions.
Spliced mRNA containing the codon regions is then transported out
of the cellular nucleus to a ribosome, which decodes it into a
protein, where each group of three RNA nucleotides form the codon
that codes for one amino acid. During the decoding process, a
string of amino acids are strung together, and when strung together
and glycosylated form the proteins, of which the cells, tissues,
and organs of the body are composed. In this manner, genes in DNA
serve as original instructions for the manufacture of proteins.
[0048] Accordingly, because the DNA includes both coding regions,
i.e., exons, and non-coding regions, i.e. introns, the mapping
and/or aligning and/or sorting of RNA back to its genetic precursor
in the genomic DNA, may be complicated. Particularly, each gene
exists on a single strand of the double-stranded DNA double-helix,
often as a series of exons (coding segments) separated by introns
(non-coding segments). Some genes have only a single exon, but most
have several exons (separated by introns), and some have hundreds
of exons or thousands of exons. Exons are commonly a few hundred
nucleotides long, but may be as short as a single nucleotide or as
long as tens or hundreds of thousands. Introns are commonly
thousands of nucleotides long, and some exceed a million
nucleotides. Hence, when mapping, aligning, and/or sorting from
RNA, e.g., spliced mRNA, portions of the spliced mRNA may come from
different regions of the DNA that may be separated from each other
by one or two or even a million or more nucleotides. This makes the
processing of RNA very complicated.
[0049] However, an aspect of the present disclosure overcomes these
challenges, by the methods herein described, and therefore allows
for the rapid and accurate whole-transcriptome RNA sequencing,
mapping, aligning, and/or sorting. More particularly, where RNA
processing is involved, the aforementioned index may include one or
more tables, e.g., a hash table or other index, which may be
formed, e.g., as set forth above, and may include or otherwise be
associated with a table that allows for the ready lookup of various
known and/or determined splice junctions employed by biological
systems in transcribing RNA from DNA, as described in detail herein
below. In such instances, therefore, an RNA-capable mapper/aligner
may be configured to process such splice junctions and account for
RNA-sequence reads that correspond to segments of transcribed and
spliced RNA, such as where the read crosses one or more splice
junctions; which, with respect to the DNA-oriented reference
genome, means a first portion of the read came from, and should map
to, a first exon, and a second portion of the read should map to a
second exon, and so forth. Accordingly, the index may include or
otherwise be associated with one or more splice junction tables and
the set of hardwired digital logic circuits may be configured to do
one or more of: employing said splice junction data to determine
and/or extract one or more seeds of genetic, e.g., RNA, data from
the plurality of reads of genetic RNA data; executing a function,
e.g., a hash function, such as on the one or more seeds of genetic
RNA data, as described herein, so as to generate a lookup address
for each of the one or more seeds; and accessing the hash table
using the lookup address so as to provide a location in the one or
more genetic reference sequences for each of the one or more seeds
of genetic RNA data.
[0050] Additionally, in one aspect, an apparatus for executing one
or more steps of a sequence analysis pipeline on genetic sequence
data, e.g., either DNA or RNA, is provided, wherein the genetic
sequence data includes one or more genetic reference sequences,
which may include both exons and introns, an index of the one or
more genetic reference sequences, and/or an index of annotated
splice junctions, and a plurality of reads of genomic data. In
various instances, the apparatus may include an integrated circuit,
which integrated circuit may include one or more, e.g., a set, of
hardwired digital logic circuits, wherein the set of hardwired
digital logic circuits may be interconnected, such as by one or a
plurality of physical electrical interconnects. In certain
instances, the one or more of the plurality of physical electrical
interconnects may include an input, such as for receiving the
plurality of reads of genomic data, which reads may have previously
been processed, as herein described so as to be mapped.
Additionally, the set of hardwired digital logic circuits may
further be in a wired configuration, so as to access the one or
more mapped genetic reference sequences, via one of the plurality
of physical electrical interconnects, to receive location
information, e.g. such as from a mapper, specifying one or more
segments of the one or more reference sequences, and to align the
plurality of reads to the one or more segments of the one or more
genetic reference sequences.
[0051] Accordingly, in various instances, the wired configuration
of the set of hardwired digital logic circuits, are configured to
align the plurality of reads of DNA or RNA genetic data to the one
or more segments of the one or more genetic reference sequences. In
the performance of such an alignment function, a set of the
hardwired digital logic circuits may be configured to include or
otherwise function as a wave front processor that me be formed of
the wired configuration of the set of hardwired digital logic
circuits. In certain embodiments, the wave front processor may be
configured to process an array of virtual cells of an alignment
matrix, such as a virtual matrix defined by a subset of the set of
hardwired digital logic circuits. For instance, in certain
instances, the alignment matrix may define a first axis, e.g.,
representing one of the plurality of reads, and a second axis,
e.g., representing one or more of the segments of the one or more
genetic reference sequences. In such an instance, the wave front
processor may be configured to generate a wave front pattern of
cells that extend across the array of cells from the first axis to
the second axis; and may further be configured to generate a score,
such as for each cell in the wave front pattern of cells, which
score may represent the degree of matching, on a base by base
basis, of the one of the plurality of reads and the one of the
segments of the one or more genetic reference sequences.
[0052] In such an instance, the wave front processor may further be
configured so as to steer the wave front processing pattern of
cells over the alignment matrix such that the highest score may be
centered on the wave front pattern of cells. Additionally, in
various embodiments, the wave front processor may further be
configured to backtrace one or more, e.g., all, the positions in
the scored wave front pattern of cells through previous positions
in the alignment matrix; track one or more, e.g., all, of the
backtraced paths until a convergence is generated; and generate a
CIGAR string based on the backtrace from the convergence.
[0053] In certain embodiments, the wired configuration of the set
of hardwired digital logic circuits to align the plurality of reads
to the one or more segments of the one or more genetic reference
sequences may include a wired configuration to implement a
Burrows-Wheeler algorithm, as described herein, e.g., for mapping
prior to aligning, and/or to implement a Smith-Waterman and/or
Needleman-Wunsch scoring algorithm, such as for aligning. In such
an instance, the Smith-Waterman and/or Needleman-Wunsch scoring
algorithm may be configured to implement a scoring parameter that
is sensitive to base quality scores. Further, in certain
embodiments, the Smith-Waterman scoring algorithm may be an affine
Smith-Waterman scoring algorithm.
[0054] In particular embodiments, the apparatus may include an
integrated circuit, which integrated circuit may include one or
more, e.g., a set, of hardwired digital logic circuits, wherein the
set of hardwired digital logic circuits may be interconnected, such
as by one or a plurality of physical electrical interconnects. In
certain of these instances, the one or more of the plurality of
physical electrical interconnects may include an input, such as for
receiving the plurality of reads of genomic data, which reads may
have previously been processed, as herein described so as to be
mapped and/or aligned. Additionally, the set of hardwired digital
logic circuits may further be in a wired configuration, so as to
access the one or more genetic reference sequences, via one of the
plurality of physical electrical interconnects, to receive location
information, e.g. such as from a mapper and/or aligner, specifying
one or more segments of the one or more reference sequences, and to
sort the plurality of reads to the one or more segments of the one
or more genetic reference sequences.
[0055] In view of the above, in one aspect, a method for sequencing
genetic material, e.g., so as to produce electronic genetic data,
may be provided. In particular instances, the method involves the
use of a Next Gen Sequencer for sequencing of genomic DNA and/or
RNA derived therefrom, as described generally herein and known in
the art. In other instances, the method involves the use of a Next
Gen Sequencer, modified as described herein, for sequencing of
genomic DNA and/or RNA derived therefrom. In further instances, the
method involves the use of a Field Effect Transistor and/or CMOS
Sequencer, e.g., a sequencer-on-a-chip, as described herein in
detail below, for the sequencing of genomic DNA and/or RNA derived
therefrom. In various instance, the genetic material once produced
may be converted into an electronic form, e.g., a digital form,
that may be streamed or otherwise transferred to one or more of the
pipeline modules herein described.
[0056] Accordingly, once the electronic, e.g., analog or digital,
genetic data, such as sequencing data, is produced, transferred,
and received, another aspect of the disclosure is directed to
executing a sequence analysis pipeline on such genetic sequence
data. The genetic data may include one or more genetic reference
sequences, one or more indexes of the one or more genetic reference
sequences and/or a list of one or more annotated splice junctions
(e.g., in the case of RNA sequencing) pertaining thereto, and/or a
plurality of reads of genomic data (e.g., DNA and/or RNA sequence
segments). The method may include one or more of receiving,
accessing, mapping, aligning, sorting, and/or performing a variant
call function on various iterations of the genetic sequence data.
For instance, in certain embodiments, the method may include
receiving, on an input to an integrated circuit from an electronic
data source, one or more of a plurality of reads of genomic data,
wherein each read of genomic data may include a sequence of
nucleotides. In such an instance, the integrated circuit may be
formed of a set of hardwired digital logic circuits that are formed
or otherwise configured as one or more processing engines such as
are interconnected by a plurality of physical electrical
interconnects, which physical electrical interconnects may include
one or more of the plurality of physical electrical interconnects
comprising the input.
[0057] The method may further include accessing, by the integrated
circuit on one or more of the plurality of physical electrical
interconnects from a memory, the index of the one or more genetic
reference sequences and/or, in the case of RNA sequencing, the
annotated splice junctions. Particularly, if annotated splice
junctions are provided to the mapper engine, they can be leveraged
to improve mapping sensitivity. In such an instance, the list of
annotated junctions may be loaded into the memory so as to be
accessible by the mapper engine so as to assist with the mapping of
RNA genetic material. Advantageously, the annotated junctions may
be formatted into a table, e.g., a hash table or index that may be
associated therewith, so as to be easily accessed by the mapper
engine. Accordingly, the method may include mapping, by a first
subset of the hardwired digital logic circuits of the integrated
circuit, the plurality of genetic reads, e.g., DNA or RNA reads, to
one or more segments of the one or more genetic reference
sequences. Additionally, the method may include accessing, by the
integrated circuit on one or more of the plurality of physical
electrical interconnects from the memory, the one or more mapped
reads and/or genetic reference sequences; and aligning, e.g., by a
second subset of the hardwired digital logic circuits of the
integrated circuit, the plurality of reads, e.g., mapped reads, to
the one or more segments of the one or more genetic reference
sequences.
[0058] In various embodiments, the method may additionally include
accessing, by the integrated circuit on one or more of the
plurality of physical electrical interconnects from a memory, the
aligned plurality of reads. In such an instance the method may
include sorting, by a third subset of the hardwired digital logic
circuits of the integrated circuit, the aligned plurality of reads
according to their positions in the one or more genetic reference
sequences. In certain instances, the method may further include
outputting, such as on one or more of the plurality of physical
electrical interconnects of the integrated circuit, result data
from the mapping and/or the aligning and/or the sorting, such as
where the result data includes positions of the mapped and/or
aligned and/or sorted plurality of reads.
[0059] Further, once the genetic data has been generated and/or
processed, e.g., in one or more secondary processing protocols,
such as by being mapped, aligned, and/or sorted, the resultant
mapped, aligned, and/or sorted date may then be subjected to a
variant call procedure, as herein described, so as to produce one
or more variant call files, for instance, to determine how the
genetic sequence data from a subject differs from one or more
reference sequences. Additionally, a further aspect of the
disclosure may be directed to performing one or more other
analytical functions on the generated and/or processed genetic data
such as for further, e.g., tertiary, processing. For example, the
system may be configured for further processing of the generated
and/or secondarily processed data, such as by running it through
one or more tertiary processing pipelines, such as one or more of a
genome pipeline, an epigenome pipeline, metagenome pipeline, joint
genotyping, a MuTect2 pipeline, or other tertiary processing
pipeline, such as by the devices and methods disclosed herein.
Particularly, in various instances, an additional layer of
processing may be provided, such as for disease diagnostics,
therapeutic treatment, and/or prophylactic prevention, such as
including NIPT, NICU, Cancer, LDT, AgBio, and other such disease
diagnostics, prophylaxis, and/or treatments employing the data
generated by one or more of the present primary and/or secondary
and/or tertiary pipelines. Hence, the devices and methods herein
disclosed may be used to generate genetic sequence data, which data
may then be used to generate one or more variant call files and/or
other associated data that may further be subject to the execution
of other tertiary processing pipelines in accordance with the
devices and methods disclosed herein, such as for particular and/or
general disease diagnostics as well as for prophylactic and/or
therapeutic treatment and/or developmental modalities.
[0060] Hence, in various instances, implementations of various
aspects of the disclosure may include, but are not limited to:
apparatuses, systems, and methods including one or more features as
described in detail herein, as well as articles that comprise a
tangibly embodied machine-readable medium operable to cause one or
more machines (e.g., computers, etc.) to result in operations
described herein. Similarly, computer systems and/or networks are
also described that may include one or more processors and/or one
or more memories coupled to the one or more processors, either
directly or remotely. Accordingly, computer implemented methods
consistent with one or more implementations of the current subject
matter can be implemented by one or more data processors residing
in a single computing system or multiple computing systems, such as
one or more computer clusters. Such multiple computing systems can
be connected and can exchange data and/or commands or other
instructions or the like via one or more connections, including but
not limited to a connection over a network (e.g. the Internet, a
wireless wide area network, a local area network, a wide area
network, a wired network, or the like), via a direct connection
between one or more of the multiple computing systems, etc. A
memory, which can include a computer-readable storage medium, may
include, encode, store, or the like one or more programs that cause
one or more processors to perform one or more of the operations
described herein.
[0061] The details of one or more variations of the subject matter
described herein are set forth in the accompanying drawings and the
description below. Other features and advantages of the subject
matter described herein will be apparent from the description and
drawings, and from the claims. While certain features of the
currently disclosed subject matter are described for illustrative
purposes in relation to an enterprise resource software system or
other business software solution or architecture, it should be
readily understood that such features are not intended to be
limiting. The claims that follow this disclosure are intended to
define the scope of the protected subject matter.
DESCRIPTION OF DRAWINGS
[0062] The accompanying drawings, which are incorporated in and
constitute a part of this specification, show certain aspects of
the subject matter disclosed herein and, together with the
description, help explain some of the principles associated with
the disclosed implementations. In the drawings,
[0063] FIG. 1 depicts an RNA read, illustrating the crossover
between one or more splice junctions, and a seed crossing the
read's splice junction
[0064] FIG. 2 depicts another exemplary RNA read, illustrating that
short (L-base) seeds can be configured to more easily fit into
short exons, and accommodate short exon overhangs, or exon segments
cut by edits such as SNPs.
[0065] FIG. 3 depicts an exemplary reference bins that are within
the search range of successfully-mapped K-base seeds that can be
queried in the anchored-seed hash table, such as using L-base
seeds.
[0066] FIG. 4 depicts a comparison of read portions left and right
of a stitch position.
[0067] FIG. 5 depicts an abstract alignment rectangle, with
concatenated query sequence on the vertical axis and concatenated
reference sequence on the horizontal axis.
[0068] FIG. 6 depicts an HMM 3-state based model illustrating the
transition probabilities of going from one state to another.
[0069] FIG. 7 depicts an exemplary HMM matrix showing an
anti-diagonal processing wavefront or swath.
[0070] FIG. 8 an exemplary cell to be processed in the HMM matrix
of FIG. 7 and showing the data dependencies employed in calculating
the transition state of the demarcated cell.
[0071] FIG. 9 depicts another exemplary matrix, this time with a
horizontal processing swath.
[0072] FIG. 10 depicts the exemplary cell of FIG. 8 showing the
cycle dependencies with respect to the processing of the demarcated
cell.
[0073] FIG. 11 depicts an exemplary output end for a cell at the
end of a pipeline in the matrix of FIG. 7.
[0074] FIG. 12 depicts a histogram of an HMM table.
[0075] FIG. 13 depicts a high-level view of an integrated circuit
of the disclosure including a HMM interface structure.
[0076] FIG. 14 depicts the integrated circuit of FIG. 13, showing
an HMM cluster features in greater detail.
[0077] FIG. 15 depicts an overview of HMM related data flow
throughout the system including both software and hardware
interactions.
[0078] FIG. 16 depicts exemplary HMM cluster collar
connections.
[0079] FIG. 17 depicts an exemplary HMM engine HMEM
organization.
[0080] FIG. 18 depicts an exemplary HMM engine RMEM
organization.
[0081] FIG. 19 depicts a high-level view of the major functional
blocks within an exemplary HMM hardware accelerator.
[0082] FIG. 20 depicts an exemplary HMM matrix structure and
hardware processing flow.
[0083] FIG. 21 depicts an enlarged view of a portion of FIG. 20
showing the data flow and dependencies between nearby cells in the
HMM M, I, and D state computations within the matrix.
[0084] FIG. 22 depicts exemplary computations useful for M, I, D
state updates.
[0085] FIG. 23 depicts M, I, and D state update circuits, including
the effects of simplifying assumptions of FIG. 22 related to
transition probabilities and the effect of sharing some M, I, D
adder resources with the final sum operations.
[0086] FIG. 24 depicts Log domain M, I, D state calculation
details.
[0087] FIG. 25 depicts an HMM state transition diagram showing the
relation between GOP, GCP and transition probabilities.
[0088] FIG. 26 depicts an HMM Transprobs and Priors generation
circuit to support the general state transition diagram of FIG.
25.
[0089] FIG. 27 depicts a simplified HMM state transition diagram
showing the relation between GOP, GCP and transition
probabilities.
[0090] FIG. 28 depicts a HMM Transprobs and Priors generation
circuit to support the simplified state transition diagram of FIG.
25.
[0091] FIG. 29 depicts an exemplary theoretical HMM matrix and
illustrates how such an HMM matrix may be traversed.
[0092] FIG. 30 depicts a block diagram for a genomic infrastructure
for onsite and/or cloud based genomics processing and analysis.
[0093] FIG. 31A depicts a block diagram of a local and/or cloud
based computing function of FIG. 30 for a genomic infrastructure
for onsite and/or cloud based genomics processing and analysis.
[0094] FIG. 31B depicts the block diagram of FIG. 31A illustrating
greater detail regarding the computing function for a genomic
infrastructure for onsite and/or cloud based genomics processing
and analysis.
[0095] FIG. 31C depicts the block diagram of FIG. 31 illustrating
greater detail regarding the 3.sup.rd-Party analytics function for
a genomic infrastructure for onsite and/or cloud based genomics
processing and analysis.
[0096] FIG. 32A depicts a block diagram illustrating a hybrid cloud
configuration.
[0097] FIG. 32B depicts the block diagram of FIG. 32A in greater
detail, illustrating a hybrid cloud configuration.
[0098] FIG. 32C depicts the block diagram of FIG. 32A in greater
detail, illustrating a hybrid cloud configuration.
[0099] FIG. 33 depicts a block diagram illustrating a primary,
secondary, and/or tertiary analysis pipeline as presented
herein.
[0100] FIG. 34 depicts a flow diagram for an analysis pipeline of
the disclosure.
[0101] FIG. 35 illustrates an exemplary design and fabrication of
an integrated circuit.
[0102] FIG. 36 is a block diagram of a hardware processor
architecture in accordance with an implementation of the
disclosure.
[0103] FIG. 37 is a block diagram of a hardware processor
architecture in accordance with another implementation.
[0104] FIG. 38 is a block diagram of a hardware processor
architecture in accordance with yet another implementation.
[0105] FIG. 39 illustrates a genetic sequence analysis
pipeline.
[0106] FIG. 40 illustrates processing steps using a genetic
sequence analysis hardware platform.
[0107] FIG. 41 illustrates an apparatus in accordance with an
implementation of the disclosure.
[0108] FIG. 42 illustrates another apparatus in accordance with an
alternative implementation of the disclosure.
[0109] FIG. 43 illustrates a genomics processing system in
accordance with an implementation.
[0110] When practical, similar reference numbers denote similar
structures, features, or elements.
DETAILED DESCRIPTION
[0111] To address these and potentially other issues with the
currently available solutions, methods, systems, articles of
manufacture, and the like, consistent with one or more
implementations of the current subject matter can, among other
possible advantages, provide a sequencing and/or a sequence
analysis apparatus for executing a sequence analysis pipeline on
genetic sequence data. The following provides details of various
implementations of a sequencing platform, a sequence analysis
pipeline, as well as a system for performing one or more tertiary
processing protocols.
[0112] In its most basic form, the body is comprised of cells
containing proteins, various of the proteins between cells connect
the cells to form tissues, tissues form organs, organs form
systems, and these systems function together to ensure the body
operates to sustain the life of the individual. The cells of the
body, therefore, are the building blocks of life. More
particularly, each cell has a nucleus, and within the nucleus of
every cell reside chromosomes. Chromosomes are formed from
Deoxyribonucleic Acid (DNA), which has an organized but winding
double helix structure. The DNA itself is comprised of two opposed,
but complementary strands of nucleotides, which nucleotides
comprise the genes that code for the proteins that give the cells
their structures and mediate the functions and regulations of the
body's tissues and organs. Basically, proteins do most of the work
of cells in maintaining the body's normal processes and
functions.
[0113] Given the multiplicity of components of the body and the
complexity involved in how they interact with one another to
maintain the body's various processes and functions, there are a
multiplicity of ways that the body may malfunction on any one of
these different levels. For instance, in one such instance, there
may be a malfunction in the way a particular gene codes for a given
protein, which dependent on the protein and the nature of its
malfunctioning can result in the onset of a diseased state.
[0114] Accordingly, in diagnosing, preventing, and/or curing such
diseased states, determining the genetic makeup of a subject may be
extremely useful. For instance, once known, a person's genetic
makeup, e.g., his or her genomic composition, can be used for
purposes of diagnostics and/or for determining whether a person has
or has the potential for a diseased state, and therefore, may be
used for prophylaxis. Likewise, the knowledge of a person's genome
may be useful in determining various potential therapeutic
modalities, such as drugs, that can or cannot be used in a
prophylactic or therapeutic regimen without causing harm to the
user. In various instances, knowledge of a person's genome may also
be employed to determine drug efficacy and/or problematic side
effects of such drug use may be predicted and/or identified.
Potentially, the knowledge of a person's genome can be used to
produce designer drugs, such as drugs tailor made and optimized in
accordance with a person's specific genetic makeup. Or, in other
instances, such genetic information may be used to determine
whether a given subject should be included or not included in a
given FDA study. In particular, in one instance, an engineered
protein or nucleotide sequence can be fabricated to an individual's
unique genetic characteristics so as to turn off or turn on the
transcription of genes that either over or under produce proteins
and thereby ameliorate diseased states.
[0115] Hence, in some instances, it is a goal of genomics
processing to determine individual genomes of people, which
determinations may be used in gene discovery protocols as well as
for prophylaxis and/or therapeutic regimes to better enhance the
livelihood of each particular person and human kind as a whole.
Further, knowledge of an individual's genome may be used such as in
drug discovery and/or FDA trials to better predict with
particularity which, if any, drugs will be likely to work on an
individual and/or which would be likely to have deleterious side
effects, such as by analyzing the individual's genome and/or a
protein profile derived therefrom and comparing the same with a
predicted biological response from such drug administration.
[0116] Such genomics and bioinformatics processing usually involves
three well defined, but typically separate phases of information
processing. The first phase involves DNA/RNA sequencing, where a
subject's DNA/RNA is obtained and subjected to various processes
whereby the subject's genetic code is converted to a
machine-readable digital code, e.g., a FASTQ file. The second phase
involves using the subject's generated digital genetic code for the
determination of the individual's genetic makeup, e.g., determining
the individual's genomic nucleotide sequence and/or variant call
file, e.g., how the individual's genome differs from that of one or
more reference genomes. And the third phase involves performing one
or more analyses on the subject's genetic makeup so as to determine
therapeutically useful information therefrom. Sequentially, these
may be termed: primary, secondary, and tertiary processing,
respectively.
[0117] Preliminarily, e.g., in Phase I, or primary processing, the
genetic material must be pre-processed, e.g., via nucleotide
sequencing, so as to derive usable genetic sequence data, e.g., a
FASTQ file. Accordingly, the sequencing of nucleic acids, such as
deoxyribonucleic acid (DNA) and ribonucleic acid (RNA), is a
fundamental part of biological discovery. Such detection is useful
for a variety of purposes and is often used in scientific research
as well as medical advancement. For instance, the genomics and
bioinformatics fields are concerned with the application of
information technology and computer science to the fields of
genetics and/or molecular biology. In particular, genomics and
bioinformatics techniques, such as those described herein, can be
applied to generate, process, and analyze various genomic data,
such as from an individual so as to determine qualitative and
quantitative information about that data that can then be used by
various practitioners in the development of individual and/or
global diagnostic, prophylactic, and/or therapeutic methods for
detecting, preventing and/or at least ameliorating diseased states,
and thus, improving the safety, quality, and effectiveness of
health care for the individual and/or the community.
[0118] Generally, the approach to DNA/RNA analysis, such as for
genetic diagnostics, involves nucleic acid hybridization and
detection. For example, various typical hybridization and detection
approaches include the following steps. For genetic analysis, an
RNA or DNA sample of a subject to be analyzed may be isolated and
immobilized on a substrate, a probe of a known genetic sequence,
e.g., a disease marker, may be labeled and washed across the
substrate. If the disease marker is present, a binding event will
occur, e.g., hybridization, and because the probe has been labeled
the hybridization event may either be or not be detected thereby
indicating the presence or absence of the disease marker in the
subject's sample. Alternatively, as indicated above, where the
hybridization reaction takes place next to a reaction layer, e.g.,
configured to detect a reactant and/or a by product of the
reaction, such as in a suitably configured FET device, a labeled
probe need not be employed.
[0119] Typically, for nucleotide sequencing, first, an unknown
nucleic acid sequence to be identified, e.g., a single-stranded
sequence of DNA and/or RNA of a subject, is isolated, amplified,
and immobilized on a substrate. Next, a known nucleic acid labeled
with an identifiable tag is contacted with the unknown nucleic acid
sequence in the presence of a polymerase. When hybridization
occurs, the labeled nucleic acid binds to its complementary base in
the unknown sequence immobilized on the surface of the substrate.
The binding event can then be detected, e.g., optically or
electrically. These steps are then repeated until the entire DNA
sample has been completely sequenced. Again, as indicated above,
where the complimentary binding event occurs next to reaction
layer, e.g., configured to detect a reactant and/or a by product of
the binding event, such as in a suitably configured FET device, a
labeled nucleic acid need not be employed.
[0120] Generally, these steps are performed manually or via an
automated sequencer, such as a Next Gen Sequencer (NGS), wherein
thousands to millions of sequences may concurrently be synthesized
in the next-generation sequencing process. However, as presented
herein, a direct, label-free system for the sequencing of DNA
and/or RNA such as on a computer chip, such as a complementary
metaloxide semiconductor (CMOS) chip, is presented, such as where
various components or the entire sensory apparatus of the sequencer
may be embodied within or otherwise associated with the
semiconductor chip. Such a system, as herein provided, allows for
the seamless integration of primary, secondary, and/or tertiary
processing, such as within the same semiconductor chip set.
[0121] More particularly, a typical sequencing procedure,
regardless of the type of sequencing apparatus employed, involves
obtaining a biological sample from a subject, such as through
venipuncture, hair, etc. and treating the sample to isolate the
genetic content therefrom. Once isolated, where the genetic sample
is DNA, the DNA may be denatured and strand separated. As RNA is
already single stranded this step may not be necessary when
processing RNA. The isolated DNA and/or RNA or portions thereof may
then be multiplied, e.g., via polymerase chain reaction (PCR), so
as to build a library of replicated strands that are now ready to
be sequenced and read, such as by an automated sequencer, which
sequencer is configured to read the replicated strands, e.g., by
synthesis, and thereby determine the nucleotide sequences that
makes up the DNA and/or RNA. Further, in various instances, such as
in building the library of replicated and multiplied strands, it
may be useful to provide for over-coverage when preprocessing a
given portion of the DNA and/or RNA. To perform this over-coverage,
e.g., using PCR, may require increased sample preparation resources
and time, and therefore be more expensive, but it often gives an
enhanced probability of the end result being more accurate.
[0122] Once the library of replicated DNA/RNA strands has been
generated they may be injected into an automated sequencer, e.g.,
NGS, which may then read the strands, such as by synthesis, so as
to determine the nucleotide sequences thereof. For instance, the
replicated single stranded DNA or RNA may be attached to a glass
bead and inserted into a test vessel, e.g., an array. All the
necessary components for replicating its complementary strand,
including labeled nucleotides, are also added to the vessel but in
a sequential fashion. For example, all "A", "C", "G", and "T's,"
which may be labeled, are added, either one at a time, or all
together, if labeled, to see which of the nucleotides is going to
bind at position one of the single stranded DNA or RNA.
[0123] After each addition, in the labeled model, a light, e.g., a
laser, is shone on the array. If the composition fluoresces then an
image is produced indicating which nucleotide bound to the subject
location. In the unlabeled model, a binding event can be detected
such as by a change in resistance at a gate, e.g., a solution gate,
proximate a reaction layer where the replicated single stranded DNA
or RNA containing glass bead is positioned. More particularly,
where the nucleotides are added one at a time, if a binding event
occurs, then its indicative fluorescence or change in resistance
will be observed. If a binding event does not occur, the test
vessel may be washed and the procedure repeated until the
appropriate one of the four nucleotides binds to its complement at
the subject location, and its indicative change in conditions is
observed. Where all four nucleotides are added at the same time,
each may be labeled with a different fluorescent indicator, and the
nucleotide that binds to its complement at the subject position may
be determined, such as by the color of its fluorescence. This
greatly accelerates the synthesis process.
[0124] Once a binding event has occurred, the complex is then
washed and the synthesis steps are repeated for position two. For
example, a labeled or otherwise marked nucleotide "A" may be added
to the reaction mixture to determine if the complement at position
one in the bound template molecule being sequenced is an "A", and
if so, the labeled "A" reactant will bind to the template sequence
having that complement and will therefore fluoresce, after which
the samples will all be washed so as to clear away any excess
nucleotide reactants. Where a binding event happened the bound
nucleotide is not washed away. This process will be repeated for
all nucleotides for all positions until all the over-sampled
nucleic acid segments, e.g., reads, have been sequenced and the
data collected. Alternatively, where all four nucleotides are added
at the same time, each labeled with a different fluorescent
indicator, only one nucleotide will bind to its complement at the
subject position, and the others will be washed away, such that
after the vessel has been washed, a laser may be shone on the
vessel and which nucleotide bound to its complement may be
determined, such as by the color of its fluorescence. However,
where a CMOS FET sensor is employed, as described below, the
binding event may be detected by a change in conductance that takes
place proximate a suitably configured gate or other reaction
region.
[0125] Particularly, in part, due to the need for the use of
optically detectable, e.g., fluorescent, labels in the sequencing
reactions being performed, the required instrumentation for
performing such high throughput sequencing may have a tendency to
be bulky, costly, time-consuming, and non-portable. For this
reason, a new approach for direct, label-free detection of DNA
and/or RNA sequencing are herein proposed. For instance, although
in various embodiments, improved methods for performing NGS
processing is provided, in other embodiments, improved methods and
devices for nucleic acid sequencing and/or processing not
necessarily involving an NGS are provided. For example, in
particular instances, a detection method is herein proposed that is
based on the use of various electronic analytical devices. Such
direct electronic detection methods have several advantages over a
typical NGS platform.
[0126] More particularly, the sensor and/or detection apparatus, as
herein disclosed, may be incorporated in the substrate itself, such
as employing a biosystem-on-a-chip device, such as a complementary
metal oxide semiconductor device, "CMOS". Specifically, in using a
CMOS device in genetic detection, the output signal representative
of a hybridization event, e.g., either for hybridization and/or
nucleic acid sequencing, can be directly acquired and processed on
the microchip itself. In such an instance, automatic recognition is
achievable in real time and at a lower cost than is currently
achievable using typical NGS processing. Moreover, standard CMOS
substrate devices may be employed for such electronic detection
making the process simple, inexpensive, rapid, and portable.
[0127] For instance, in order for next-generation sequencing to
become widely used as a diagnostic in the healthcare industry,
sequencing instrumentation will need to be mass produced with a
high degree of quality, mobility, and economy. One way to achieve
this is to recast DNA/RNA sequencing in a format that fully
leverages the manufacturing base created for computer chips, such
as complementary metaloxide semiconductor (CMOS) chip fabrication,
which is the current pinnacle of large scale, high quality,
low-cost manufacturing of high technology. To achieve this, ideally
the entire sensory apparatus of the sequencer may be embodied in a
standard semiconductor chip, such as manufactured in the same fab
facilities used for logic and memory chips.
[0128] Accordingly, in another aspect of the disclosure, herein
presented is a field effect transistor (FET) that may be fabricated
on or otherwise associated with a CMOS chip that is configured for
use in performing one or more of a DNA/RNA sequencing and/or
hybridization reactions. Such a FET may include a gate, a channel
region connecting a source and drain terminals, and an insulating
barrier that may be configured to separate the gate from the
channel. The optimal operation of such a FET relies on the control
of the channel conductivity, and thus the control of the drain
current, such as by a voltage that may be applied between the gate
and source terminals.
[0129] For high-speed applications, and for the purposes of
increasing sensor sensitivity, the FETs herein provided can be
operated in a manner to respond quickly to variations in the gate
voltage (V.sub.GS). However, this requires short gates and fast
carriers in the channel. In view of this, the present FET sensors,
such as for use in nucleic acid hybridization and/or sequencing
reactions, are configured so as to have channels that may be very
thin in the vertical and/or horizontal dimensions so as to allow
for high-speed transmission of carriers as well as for increased
sensor sensitivity and accuracy, thereby giving the present sensors
particular advantages for nucleic acid sequencing reactions.
Therefore, the devices, systems, and methods of employing the same
provided herein are ideal for the performance of genomics analysis
and applications, such as for nucleic acid sequencing and/or
genetic diagnostics.
[0130] Hence, one aspect of the present disclosure is a
chemically-sensitive transistor, such as a field effect transistor
(FET) that is designed for analysis of biological or chemical
materials that solves many of the current problems associated with
nucleic acid sequencing and genetic diagnostics. Such FETs may be
fabricated on a primary structure, such as a wafer, e.g., a silicon
wafer. In various instances, the primary structure may include one
or more additional structures, e.g., a second and/or third
structure, for instance, in a stacked configuration, such as an
insulator material layer. For example, an insulator material may be
included on top of the primary structure, and may be an inorganic
material, such as a silicon oxide, e.g., a silicon dioxide, or a
silicon nitride, or an organic material, such as a polyimide, BCB,
or other like material.
[0131] The primary and secondary structures, e.g., including an
insulator layer, may include a further structure containing one or
more of a conductive source and/or a conductive drain, such as
separated one from another by a space, and embedded in the primary
structure and/or insulator material and/or may be planar with a top
surface of the insulator. In various instances, the structures may
further include or may be otherwise associated with a processor,
such as for processing generated data, such as sensor derived data.
Accordingly, the structures may be configured as, or otherwise
include, an integrated circuit, such as herein described, and/or
may be an ASIC, a structured ASIC, or an FPGA.
[0132] In particular instances, the structures may be configured as
a complementary metal-oxide semiconductor (CMOS), which in turn may
be configured as a chemically-sensitive FET containing one or more
of a conductive source, a conductive drain, a channel or well,
and/or a processor. For instance, the FET may include a CMOS
structure having an integrated circuit that is fabricated on a
silicon wafer, which further includes an insulator layer, which
insulator layer includes the conductive source and the conductive
drain, such as embedded therein, which source and drain terminals
may be composed of metal, such as a damascene copper source and a
damascene copper drain. In various instances, the structures may
include a surface, e.g., a top surface, which surface may include a
channel, such as where the surface and/or channel may be configured
to extend from the conductive source to the conductive drain and
form a reaction zone thereby.
[0133] In certain instances, the surface and/or channel may include
a one-dimensional transistor material, a two-dimensional transistor
material, a three-dimensional transistor material, and/or the like.
In various instances, a one-dimensional (1D) transistor material
may be included, which 1D material may be composed of a carbon
nanotube or a semiconductor nanowire. In other instances, the
chamber and/or channel is composed of a one-dimensional transistor
material such as containing one or more carbon nanotube(s) and/or a
semiconductor nanowire(s), such as a sheet of semiconductor
nanowire.
[0134] In particular instances, a two-dimensional (2D) transistor
material may be included, such as where the 2D material may be one
or two atoms thick and may stretch out in a plane. In such
instances, the 2D material may include or otherwise be composed of
as elemental 2D materials like graphene, graphyne (a carbon
allotrope comprised of a lattice of benzene rings connected by
acetylene bonds), borophene (a boron allotrope), germanene (a
germanium allotrope), germanane (another germanium allotrope),
silicene (a silicon allotrope) stanene (a tin allotrope),
phosphorene (a phosphorous allotrope sometimes referred to as black
phosphorous) or single atom layers of metals such as palladium or
rhodium; a transition metal dichalcogenides (that contain one
transition metal atom for every two chalcogen atoms) such as
molybdenum disulfide (MoS2 sometimes referred to as molybdenite),
tungsten diselenide (WSe2), tungsten disulfide (WS2), or others;
MXenes (transition metal carbides and/or nitrides typically of a
formula of Mn+1Xn where M is a transition metal and X is carbon
and/or nitrogen) such as Ti2C, V2C, Nb2C, Ti3C2, Ti3CN, Nb4C3 or
Ta4C3 (furthermore MXenes may be terminated by O, OH or F to
produce semiconductors with a small band gap.); or organo-metallic
compounds such as Ni HITP
(Ni3(2,3,6,7,10,11-hexaiminotriphenylene)2; or 2D supracrystals
(the supracrystals are defined as the supra atomic periodic
structures where the atoms typically found in the nodes of a
structure are replaced by their symmetric complexes. It should be
noted that transition metal dichalcogenides may comprise in ratio
one atom of any transition metal (Sc, Ti, V, Cr, Mn, Fe, Co, Ni,
Cu, Zn, Y, Zr, Nb, Mo, Tc, Ru, Rh, Pd, Ag, Cd, Hf, Ta, W, Re, Os,
Ir, Pt, Au, Hg, Rt, Db, Sg, Bh, Mt, Ds or Rg) paired with two atoms
of any of the chalcogenides (S, Se or Te). In particular instances,
the 2D material may include one or more of a graphene layer,
silicene, molybdenum disulfide, black phosphorous, and/or metal
dichalcogenides. In various instances, a three-dimensional (3D)
material may be included on the surface and/or channel may include
a dielectric layer.
[0135] Additionally, in various instances, a reaction layer, e.g.,
an oxide layer, may be disposed on the surface and/or channel, such
as layered or otherwise deposited on the 1D, 2D, e.g., graphene, or
3D layer. Such an oxide layer may be an aluminum oxide or a silicon
oxide, such as silicon dioxide. In various instances, a passivation
layer may be disposed on the surface and/or channel, such as
layered or otherwise deposited on the 1D, 2D, e.g., graphene, or 3D
layer and/or on an associated reaction layer on the surface and/or
channel.
[0136] In particular instances, the primary and/or secondary and/or
tertiary structures may be fabricated or otherwise configured so as
to include a chamber or well structure in and/or on the surface.
For instance, a well structure may be positioned on a portion of a
surface, e.g., an exterior surface, of the primary and/or secondary
structures. In some instances, the well structure may be formed on
top of, or may otherwise include, at least a portion of the 1D, 2D,
e.g., graphene, and/or 3D material, and/or may additionally include
the reaction, e.g., oxide, and/or passivation layers. In various
instances, the chamber and/or well structure may define an opening,
such as an opening that allows access to an interior of the
chamber, such as allowing direct contact with the 1D, e.g., carbon
nanotube or nanowire, 2D, e.g., graphene, surface and/or
channel.
[0137] Accordingly, in various embodiments the present disclosure
is directed to a bio-sensor. The bio-sensor includes a CMOS
structure that may include a metal containing source, e.g., a
damascene copper source, as well as a metal containing drain, e.g.,
a damascene copper drain, a 1D or 2D layered, e.g., a graphene
layered, surface or channel extending from the source to the drain
terminals, and a well or chamber structure that may be positioned
on a portion of an exterior surface of the 1D or 2D or 3D layered
well structure. In such an instance, the well structure may be
configured so as to define an opening that allows for direct
contact with the nanotube, nanowire, and/or graphene well or
chamber surface. In various instances, an oxide and/or passivation
layer may be disposed in or on the chamber surfaces. Hence, in
certain instances, a chemically-sensitive transistor, such as a
field effect transistor (FET) including one or more nano- or
micro-wells may be provided.
[0138] In some embodiments, the chemically-sensitive field effect
transistor may include a plurality of wells and may be configured
as an array, e.g., a sensor array. As such, the system may include
an array of wells including one or more, e.g., a plurality, of
sensors, such as where each of the sensors includes a
chemically-sensitive field-effect transistor having a conductive
source, a conductive drain, and a reaction surface or channel
extending from the conductive source to the conductive drain. Such
an array or arrays may be employed such as to detect a presence
and/or concentration change of various analyte types in a wide
variety of chemical and/or biological processes, including DNA/RNA
hybridization and/or sequencing reactions. For instance, the
devices herein described and/or systems including the same may be
employed in a method for the diagnosis of disease and/or analysis
of biological or chemical materials, such as for whole genome
analysis, genome typing analysis, micro-array analysis, panels
analysis, exome analysis, micro-biome analysis, and/or clinical
analysis, such as cancer analysis, NIPT analysis, and/or UCS
analysis.
[0139] In a particular embodiment, the FET may be a graphene FET
(gFET) array, as herein described, and may be employed to
facilitate DNA/RNA sequencing and/or hybridization techniques, such
as based on monitoring changes in hydrogen ion concentration (pH),
changes in other analyte concentrations, and/or binding events
associated with chemical processes relating to DNA/RNA synthesis,
such as within a solution gated reaction chamber or well of the
gFET based sensor. For example, the chemically-sensitive field
effect transistor may be configured as a CMOS biosensor and/or may
be adapted to increase the measurement sensitivity and/or accuracy
of the sensor and/or associated array(s), such as by including one
or more surfaces or wells having a surface layered with a 1D and/or
2D and/or 3D material, a dielectric or reaction layer, a
passivation layer and/or the like. For instance, in a particular
embodiment, a chemically-sensitive graphene field effect transistor
(gFET), such as a gFET having a CMOS structure is provided, where
the gFET sensor, e.g., biosensor, may include an oxide and/or
passivation layer, such as a layer that is disposed on the surface
of the well or chamber so as to increase the measurement
sensitivity and/or accuracy of the sensor and/or associated
array(s). The oxide layer, when present, may be composed of an
aluminum oxide, a silicon oxide, a silicon dioxide, and the
like.
[0140] The system may further include one or more of a fluidic
component, such as for performing the reaction, a circuitry
component, such as for running the reaction processes, and/or a
computing component, such as for controlling and/or processing the
same. For instance, a fluidics component may be included where the
fluidic component is configured to control one or more flows of
reagents over the array and/or one or more chambers thereof.
Particularly, in various embodiments, the system includes a
plurality of reaction locations, such as surfaces or wells, which
in turn includes a plurality of sensors and/or a plurality of
channels, and further includes one or more fluid sources containing
a fluid having a plurality of reagents and/or analytes for delivery
to the one or more surfaces and/or wells for the performance of one
or more reactions therein. In certain instances, a mechanism for
generating one or more electric and/or magnetic fields may also be
included.
[0141] The system may additionally include a circuitry component,
such as where the circuitry component may include a sample and hold
circuit, an address decoder, a bias circuitry, and/or at least one
analog-to-digital converter. For instance, the sample and hold
circuit may be configured to hold an analog value of a voltage to
be applied to or on a selected column and/or row line of an array
of a device of the disclosure, such as during a read interval.
Additionally, the address decoder may be configured to create
column and/or row select signals for a column and/or row of the
array, so as to access a sensor with a given address within the
array. The bias circuitry may be coupled to one or more surfaces
and/or chambers of the array and include a biasing component such
as may be adapted to apply a read and/or bias voltage to selected
chemically-sensitive field-effect transistors of the array, e.g.,
to a gate terminal of the transistor. The analog to digital
converter may be configured to convert an analog value to a digital
value.
[0142] A computing component may also be included, such as where
the computing component may include one or more processors, such as
a signal processor; a base calling module, configured for
determining one or more bases of one or more reads of a sequenced
nucleic acid; a mapping module, configured for generating one or
more seeds from the one or more reads of sequenced data and for
performing a mapping function on the one or more seeds and/or
reads; an alignment module, configured for performing an alignment
function on the one or more mapped reads; a sorting module,
configured for performing a sorting function on the one or more
mapped and/or aligned reads; and/or a variant calling module,
configured for performing a variant call function on the one or
more mapped, aligned, and/or sorted reads. In particular instances,
the base caller of the base calling module may be configured to
correct a plurality of signals, such as for phase and signal loss,
to normalize to a key, and/or to generate a plurality of corrected
base calls for each flow in each sensor, so as to produce a
plurality of sequencing reads. In various embodiments, the device
and/or system may include at least one reference electrode.
[0143] Particularly, the system may be configured for performing a
sequencing reaction. In such an instance, the chemically-sensitive
FET sequencing device may include an array of sensors having one or
more chemically-sensitive field-effect transistors associated
therewith. Such transistors may include a cascode transistor having
one or more of a source terminal, a drain terminal, and or a gate
terminal. In such an instance, the source terminal of the
transistor may be directly or indirectly connected to the drain
terminal of the field-effect transistor. In some instances, a one
or two dimensional channel may be included and may extend from the
source terminal to the drain terminal, such as where the 1D channel
material may be a carbon nanotube or nanowire, and the
two-dimensional channel material may be composed of graphene,
silicene, a phosphorene, a molybdenum disulfide, and a metal
dichalcogenide. The device may further be configured to include a
plurality of column and row lines coupled to the sensors in the
array of sensors. In such an instance, each column line in the
plurality of column lines may be directly or indirectly connected
to or otherwise coupled to the drain terminals of the transistors,
e.g., cascode transistors, of a corresponding plurality of signals
or pixels in the array, and likewise each row line in the plurality
of row lines may be directly or indirectly connected to or
otherwise coupled with the source terminals of the transistors,
e.g., cascode transistors, of a corresponding plurality of sensors
in the array.
[0144] In some instances, a plurality of source and drain terminals
having a plurality of reaction surfaces, e.g., channel members,
extended there between may be included, such as where each channel
member includes a one or two or three dimensional material. In such
an instance, a plurality of first and/or second conductive layers
may be coupled to the first and second source/drain terminals of
the chemically-sensitive field-effect transistors in respective
columns and rows in the array. Additionally, control circuitry may
be provided and coupled to the plurality of column and row lines
such as for reading a selected sensor connected to a selected
column line and/or a selected row line. The circuitry may also
include a biasing component such as may be configured for applying
a read voltage to the selected row line, and/or to apply a bias
voltage such as to the gate terminal of a transistor, such as FET
and/or cascode transistor of the selected sensor. In a particular
embodiment, the bias circuitry may be coupled to one or more
chambers of the array and be configured to apply a read bias to
selected chemically-sensitive field-effect transistors associated
with the chamber via the conductive column and/or row lines.
Particularly, the bias circuitry may be configured to apply a read
voltage to the selected row line, and/or to apply a bias voltage to
the gate terminal of the transistor, e.g., cascode transistor, such
as during a read interval.
[0145] A sense circuitry may be included and coupled to the array
so as to sense a charge coupled to one or more of the gate
configurations of a selected chemically-sensitive field-effect
transistor. Sense circuitry may also be configured to read the
selected sensor based on a sampled voltage level on the selected
row and/or column line. In such an instance, the sense circuitry
may include one or more of a pre-charge circuit, such as to
pre-charge the selected column line to a pre-charge voltage level
prior to the read interval; and a sample circuit such as to sample
a voltage level at the drain terminal of the selected transistor,
e.g., cascode transistor, such as during the read interval. The
sample circuit may also be included and contain a sample and hold
circuit configured to hold an analog value of a voltage on the
selected column line during the read interval, and may further
include an analog to digital converter to convert the analog value
to a digital value.
[0146] In another aspect, the present 1D, 2D, or 3D FET integrated
circuits, e.g., a gFET, sensors, and/or arrays of the disclosure
may be fabricated such as using any suitable complementary
metal-oxide semiconductor (CMOS) processing techniques known in the
art. In certain instances, such a CMOS processing technique may be
configured to increase the measurement sensitivity and/or accuracy
of the sensor and/or array, and at the same time facilitate
significantly small sensor sizes and dense gFET chamber sensor
regions. Particularly, the improved fabrication techniques herein
described employing a 1D, 2D, 3D, and/or oxide as a reaction layer
provide for rapid data acquisition from small sensors to large and
dense arrays of sensors. In particular embodiments, where an
ion-selective permeable membrane is included, the membrane layer
may include a polymer, such as a perfluorosulphonic material, a
perfluorocarboxylic material, PEEK, PBI, Nafion, and/or PTFE. In
some embodiments, the ion-selective permeable membrane may include
an inorganic material, such as an oxide or a glass. One or more of
the various layers, e.g., the reaction, passivation, and/or
permeable membrane layers may be fabricated or otherwise applied by
a spin-coating, anodization, PVD, and/or sol gel method.
[0147] Accordingly, the CMOS FET device described herein may be
employed for sequencing a nucleic acid sample, in such an instance
the nucleic acid sample serves as a template for DNA/RNA synthesis
and sequencing that may be coupled to or in proximity with the
surface, e.g., a graphene coated surface, of the reaction zone,
such as within a suitably configured well or chamber of the CMOS
FET sensor array. Once immobilized the template sequence may then
be sequenced and/or analyzed by performing one or more of the
following steps. For example, a primer, and/or a polymerase, e.g.,
a DNA and/or RNA polymerase, and/or one or more substrates, e.g., a
deoxynucleotide triphosphate, such as dATP, dGTP, dCTP, and dTTP
(or dUTP for RNA) or di-deoxynucleotide triphosphate, such as
ddATP, ddGTP, ddCTP, and ddTTP/ddUTP, may be added, e.g.,
sequentially, to the reaction chamber, such as after the
hybridization reaction begins so as to induce an elongation
reaction. Once the appropriate, e.g., corresponding, substrate
hybridizes to its complement in the template sequence, there will
be a concomitant change in the individual electrical characteristic
voltage, e.g., the source-drain voltage (Vsd), measured as a result
of the new local gating effect. Where a reaction layer is included,
such as an oxide layer deposited upon the 1D, 2-D, or 3-D surface,
the sensitivity with which a binding event occurs can be amplified,
such as where the reaction layer is configured for producing and/or
monitoring changes in hydrogen ion concentration (pH), or changes
in other analyte concentrations.
[0148] Hence, for every elongation reaction with the appropriate,
e.g., complementary, substrate there will be a change in the
characteristic voltage and/or pH concentration. For instance, as
described herein, a field-effect device for nucleic acid sequencing
and/or gene detection may disposed in a sample chamber or well of a
flow cell, and a sample solution, e.g., containing a polymerase and
one or more substrates, e.g., nucleotides, may be introduced to the
sample solution chamber, such as via one or more of the fluidics
components of the system. In various embodiments, a reference
electrode may be disposed upstream, downstream, and/or in fluid
contact with the field effect device and/or the source and/or drain
terminals may themselves serve as electrodes, such as for
hybridization detection, and gate voltage may be applied whenever
needed.
[0149] Particularly, in an exemplary elongation reaction, such as
described above, polynucleotides are synthesized, into a
complementary nucleotide strand, if the added substrate is
complementary to the next available base sequence of the target
DNA/RNA template and in the presence of a primer. If the added
substrate is not complementary to the next available base sequence
in the template, hybridization does not occur and there is no
elongation. Since nucleic acids, such as DNAs and RNAs, have a
negative charge in aqueous solutions, hybridization resulting in
elongation can be incrementally determined by the change in the
charge density on the reaction surface and/or in the reaction
chamber. Such detection may be enhanced by being able to detect
increases in ion concentration, such as by detecting a change in
the pH. Because the substrates are added sequentially, it can
readily be determined which nucleotide bound to the template
thereby facilitating the elongation reaction. Accordingly, as a
result of elongation, the negative charge on the graphene layered
gate surface, insulating film surface, and/or the sidewall surface
of the reaction chamber will be increased. This increase may then
be detected, such as a change in the gate source voltage and/or ion
concentration, as described in detail herein. By determining the
addition of which substrate resulted in a signal or pH change in
gate-source voltage, the base sequence identity of the target
nucleic acid can be determined and/or analyzed.
[0150] Particularly, regardless of the sequencing device employed,
such as an NGS and/or a FET based sequencing device, as herein
described, this iterative synthesis process continues until the
entire DNA/RNA template strand has been replicated in the vessel.
Usually a typical length of a sequence replicated in this manner is
from about 100 to about 500 base pairs, such as between 150 to
about 400 base pairs, including from about 200 to about 350 base
pairs, such as about 250 base pairs to about 300 base pairs
dependent on the sequencing protocol being employed. Further, the
nucleotide length of these template segments may be predetermined,
e.g., engineered, to accord with any particular sequencing
machinery and/or protocol by which it is run.
[0151] The end result is a readout, or read, that is comprised of a
replicated DNA/RNA segment, e.g., from about 100 to about 1,000
nucleotides or more in length, that has either been labeled in such
a manner that every nucleotide in the sequence, e.g., read, is
known because of its label, or is determined and known by a change
in a gate characteristic, such as a change in voltage and/or pH,
e.g., at a gate region in the sequencing sensor device. Hence,
since the human genome is comprised of about 3.2 billion base
pairs, and various known sequencing protocols usually result in
detectable replicated sequences, e.g., reads, from about 100 or 101
bases to about 250 or about 300 or about 400 bases, the total
amount of segments that need to be sequenced, and consequently the
total number of reads generated, can be anywhere from about
10,000,000 to about 40,000,000, such as about 15,000,000 to about
30,000,000, dependent on how long the label replicated sequences
are. Therefore, the sequencer may typically generate about
30,000,000 reads, such as where the read length is 100 nucleotides
in length, so as to cover the genome once. However, as indicated
herein, due to the condensed nature of the present sequencing on a
chip format presented herein, much more substantial read lengths,
such as 800 bases, 1,000 bases, 2,500 bases, 5,000 bases, up to
10,000 bases may be achievable.
[0152] Further, as indicated above, in such procedures, it may be
useful to oversample the DNA/RNA such by about 5.times., or about
10.times., or about 20.times., or about 25.times., or about
30.times., or about 40.times., or about 50.times., or about
100.times., or about 200.times., or about 250.times., or about
500.times., or about 1,000.times., or about 5,000.times., or even
about 10,000.times. or more, and as such the amount of primary
processing needed to be done and the time taken to do this can be
quite extensive. For instance, with 40.times. oversampling, wherein
the various synthesized reads are designed to overlap to some
extent, up to about 1.2 billion reads may need to be synthesized.
Typically, a large majority if not all of these detectable
sequences can be generated in parallel. The end result is that the
initial biological genetic material is processed, e.g., by
amplification and/or sequencing protocols such as those summarized
herein, and a digital representation of that data is generated,
e.g., a FASTQ file, which digital representation of data may be
subjected to a secondary processing protocol.
[0153] Particularly, the genetic material of a subject may be
replicated and sequenced in such a manner that a measurable
electrical, chemical, radioactive, and/or optical signal is
generated, which signal is then detected and converted, e.g., by
the sequencer and/or a processing apparatus associated therewith,
into a digital representation of the subject's genetic code. More
particularly, primary processing may include the conversion of
images, such as recorded flashes of light or other electrical or
chemical signal data, into FASTQ file data. Accordingly, this
information is stored as a FASTQ file, which may then be sent for
further, e.g., secondary processing. A typical FASTQ file includes
a large collection of reads representing digitally encoded
nucleotide sequences wherein each predicted base in the sequence
has been called and given a probability score that the called base
at the indicated position is incorrect.
[0154] In many instances, it may be useful to further process the
digitally encoded sequence data obtained from the sequencer and/or
sequencing protocol, such as by subjecting the digitally
represented data to secondary processing. This secondary
processing, for instance, can be used to assemble an entire genomic
profile of an individual, such as where the individual's entire
genetic makeup is determined, for instance, where each and every
nucleotide of each and every chromosome is determined in sequential
order such that the composition of the individual's entire genome
has been identified. In such processing, the genome of the
individual may be assembled such as by comparison to a reference
genome, such as a standard, e.g., one or more genomes obtained from
the human genome project, so as to determine how the individual's
genetic makeup differs from that of the referent(s). This process
is commonly known as variant calling. As the difference between the
DNA/RNA of any one person to another is 1 in 1,000 base pairs, such
a variant calling process can be very labor and time intensive.
[0155] Accordingly, in a typical secondary processing protocol, a
subject's genetic makeup is assembled by comparison to a reference
genome. This comparison involves the reconstruction of the
individual's genome from millions upon millions of short read
sequences and/or the comparison of the whole of the individual's
DNA and/or RNA to an exemplary DNA and/or RNA sequence model. In a
typical secondary processing protocol a FASTQ file is received from
the sequencer containing the raw sequenced read data. For instance,
in certain instances, there can be up to 30,000,000 reads or more
covering the subject's genome, assuming no oversampling, such as
where each read is about 100 nucleotides in length. Hence, in such
an instance, in order to compare the subject's DNA/RNA genome to
that of the standard reference genome, it needs to be determined
where each of these reads map to the reference genome, such as how
each is aligned with respect to one another, and/or how each read
can also be sorted by chromosome order so as to determine at what
position and in which chromosome each read belongs. One or more of
these functions may take place prior to performing a variant call
function on the entire full-length sequence. Once it is determined
where in the genome each read belongs, the full length genetic
sequence may be determined, and then the differences between the
subject's genetic code and that of the referent can be
assessed.
[0156] As the human genome is over 3 billion base pairs in length,
efficient automated sequencing protocols and machinery have been
developed so as to effectuate the sequencing of such DNA/RNA
genomes within a time period that could be clinically useful. Such
innovations in automated sequencing have resulted in the
capabilities of sequencing an entire genome in a matter of hours to
days dependent on the number of genomes being sequenced, the amount
of oversampling involved, and the number of processing resources
being dedicated to the job. Hence, given these advancements in
sequencing, a large amount of sequencing data is capable of being
generated in a relatively short period of time. A result of these
advancements, however, is the development of a bottleneck at the
secondary processing stage. In efforts to help overcome this
bottleneck various software-based algorithms, such as those
described herein, have been developed to help expedite the process
of assembling a subject's sequenced DNA and/or RNA such as by a
reference based assembly process.
[0157] For instance, reference based assembly is a typical
secondary processing assembly protocol involving the comparison of
sequenced genomic DNA and/or RNA of a subject to that of one or
more standards, e.g., known reference sequences. Various algorithms
have been developed to help expedite this process. These algorithms
typically include some variation of one or more of: mapping,
aligning, and/or sorting the millions of reads received from the
digital, e.g., FASTQ, files communicated by the sequencer, to
determine where on each chromosome each particular read corresponds
or is otherwise located. Often a common feature behind the
functioning of these various algorithms is their use of an index
and/or an array to expedite their processing function.
[0158] For instance, with respect to mapping, a large quantity,
e.g., all, of the sequenced reads may be processed to determine the
possible locations in the reference genome to which those reads
could possibly align. One methodology that can be used for this
purpose is to do a direct comparison of the read to the reference
genome so as to find all the positions of matching. Another
methodology is to employ a prefix or suffix array, or to build out
a prefix or suffix tree, for the purpose of mapping the reads to
various positions in the reference DNA/RNA genome. A typical
algorithm useful in performing such a function is a Burrows-Wheeler
transform, which is used to map a selection of reads to a reference
using a compression formula that compresses repeating sequences of
data.
[0159] A further methodology is to employ a hash table, such as
where a selected subset of the reads, a k-mer of a selected length
"k", e.g., a seed, are placed in a hash table as keys and the
reference sequence is broken into equivalent k-mer portions and
those portions and their location are inserted by an algorithm into
the hash table at those locations in the table to which they map
according to a hashing function. A typical algorithm for performing
this function is "BLAST", a Basic Local Alignment Search Tool. Such
hash table based programs compare query nucleotide or protein
sequences to one or more standard reference sequence databases and
calculates the statistical significance of matches. In such manners
as these, it may be determined where any given read is possibly
located with respect to a reference genome. These algorithms are
useful because they require less memory, fewer look ups, and
therefore require fewer processing resources and time in the
performance of their functions, than would otherwise be the case,
such as if the subject's genome were being assembled by direct
comparison, such as without the use of these algorithms.
[0160] Additionally, an aligning function may be performed to
determine out of all the possible locations a given read may map to
on a genome, such as in those instances where a read may map to
multiple positions in the genome, which is in fact the location to
which it actually was derived, such as by being sequenced therefrom
by the original sequencing protocol. This function may be performed
on a number of the reads of the genome and a string of ordered
nucleotide bases representing a portion or the entire genetic
sequence of the subject's DNA and/or RNA may be obtained. Along
with the ordered genetic sequence a score may be given for each
nucleotide position, representing the likelihood that for any given
nucleotide position, the nucleotide, e.g., "A", "C", "G", "T" (or
"U"), predicted to be in that position is in fact the nucleotide
that belongs in that assigned position. Typical algorithms for
performing alignment functions are Needleman-Wunsch and
Smith-Waterman. In either case, these algorithms perform sequence
alignments between a string of the subject's query genomic DNA
and/or RNA sequence and a string of the reference genomic sequence
whereby instead of comparing the entire genomic sequences, one with
the other, segments of a selection of possible lengths are
compared.
[0161] Once the reads have been assigned a position, such as
relative to the reference genome, which may include identifying to
which chromosome the read belongs and/or its offset from the
beginning of that chromosome, the reads may be sorted by position.
This may enable downstream analyses to take advantage of the
oversampling described above. All of the reads that overlap a given
position in the genome will be adjacent to each other after sorting
and they can be organized into a pileup and readily examined to
determine if the majority of them agree with the reference value or
not. If they do not, a variant can be flagged.
[0162] Although these algorithms and the others like them go a ways
to resolving the bottlenecks inherent in secondary processing,
faster performance time and better accuracy are still desirable.
More particularly, although there has been advancement in the
generation of raw data, such as generated DNA/RNA sequence data,
the advancements in information technologies have not kept up pace,
leading to a data analysis bottleneck. This bottleneck is somewhat
lessened by the development of various algorithms, such as those
described above, which help accelerate these analyses, but there
still exists a need for new technologies to handle the data
generation and acquisition, computation, storage, and/or analysis
of such data, especially as it relates to genomic sequence
analysis, such as in a secondary processing stage.
[0163] For instance, employing standard NGS technologies it can
take several hours, up to about a day, to sequence a human genome,
and using standard protocols for performing secondary processing on
such obtained genomic sequencing data, can take up to three (3)
days or even up to a week or more to process the sequenced data so
as to generate clinically relevant genomic sequence information of
an individual. Employing various different optimized devices,
algorithms, methods, and/or systems the time expended for primary
to secondary processing can be brought down to a mere 27 to 48
hours. However, in order to achieve such rapid results typically
requires virtually all the generated reads, e.g., 30 million reads
of 100 nucleotides each, to be processed in parallel and at the
same time. Such parallel processing requires extensive processing
power involving massive CPU and other energy consuming resources
and still takes a relatively long time.
[0164] Further, in various instances, enhanced accuracy of results
is desired. Such enhanced accuracy can be achieved through
providing some amount of oversampling of the sequenced genome. For
example, as described above, it may be desirable to process the
subject's DNA/RNA in such a manner that at any given location of a
sequence of nucleotides, there is an oversampling of that region.
As indicated above, it may be desired to oversample any given
region of the genome up to 10.times., or 15.times., or 20.times.,
or 25.times., or 30.times., or 40.times., 50.times., 100.times.,
250.times. or even 500.times. or 1,000 times or more. However,
where the genome is oversampled, such as by 40.times., the amount
of reads to be processed is roughly 30 Million.times.40 (dependent
on the length of the reads), which amounts to about 1.2 billion
reads that need to be processed, when the entire genome is
oversampled by 40.times.. Hence, although such oversampling
typically results in greater accuracy, it is at a cost of taking
more time and requiring more extensive processing resources as each
section of the genome is covered by anywhere from 1 to 40 times.
Moreover, for certain oncology applications in which a clinician is
trying to distinguish between the mutated genome of cancer cells in
the blood stream as distinct from the genome of healthy cells,
oversampling of as much as 500.times., or 1,000.times., or
5,000.times., or even 10,000.times. may be employed.
[0165] The present disclosure, therefore, is directed to such new
technologies that may be implemented in one or a series of genomics
and/or bioinformatics protocols, e.g., pipelines, for performing
genetic acquisition and/or analysis, such as primary and/or
secondary processing, on obtained genomic sequencing data or a
portion thereof. The sequencing data may be obtained directly from
an automated high throughput sequencer system, such as by a
"Sequencing by Synthesis" 454 automated sequencer from ROCHE, a
HiSeq.times.Ten or a Solexia automated sequencer from ILLUMINA, a
"Sequencing by Oligonucleotide Ligation and Detection" (SOLiD) or
Ion Torrent sequencer by LIFE TECHNOLOGIES, and/or a "Single
Molecule Fluorescent Sequencing" sequencer by HELICOS GENETIC
ANALYSIS SYSTEMS, or the like, such as by a direct linkage with the
sequencing processing unit, or the sequencing data may be obtained
directly such as in a sequencing on a chip configuration, such as a
graphene layered FET sensor containing CMOS sequencing chip, as
herein described. Such sequencing data may also be obtained
remotely, such as from a database, for instance, accessible via the
internet or other remote location accessible through a wireless
communications protocol, such as Wi-Fi, Bluetooth, or the like.
[0166] In certain aspects, these genetic acquisition and/or
analysis technologies may employ improved algorithms that may be
implemented by software that is run in a less processing intensive
and/or less time consuming manner and/or with greater percentage
accuracy. For instance, in certain embodiments, improved devices
and methods for producing genetic sequence information, such as in
a primary processing protocol, as disclosed herein, and/or improved
algorithms for performing secondary processing thereon, as
disclosed herein, is provided. In various particular embodiments,
the improved devices, systems, their methods of use, and the
algorithms employed are directed to more efficiently and/or more
accurately performing one or more of sequencing, mapping, aligning,
and/or sorting functions, such as to generate and/or analyze a
digital representation of DNA/RNA sequence data obtained from a
sequencing platform, such as in a FASTQ file format obtained from
an automated sequencer and/or sequencer on a chip, such as one of
those set forth above.
[0167] Additionally, in certain embodiments, improved algorithms
directed to more efficiently and/or more accurately performing one
or more of local realignment, duplicate marking, base quality score
recalibration, variant calling, compression, and/or decompression
functions are provided. Further, as described in greater detail
herein below, in certain aspects, these genetic production and/or
analysis technologies may employ on or more algorithms, such as
improved algorithms, that may be implemented by hardware that is
run in a less processing intensive and/or less time consuming
manner and/or with greater percentage accuracy than various
software implementations for doing the same.
[0168] In particular embodiments, a platform of technologies for
sequencing DNA/RNA so as to produce genetic sequence data and/or
performing genetic analyses are provided where the platform may
include the performance of one or more of: sequencing, mapping,
aligning, sorting, local realignment, duplicate marking, base
quality score recalibration, variant calling, compression, and/or
decompression functions, and/or may further include tertiary
processing protocols, as herein described. In certain instances,
the implementation of one or more of these platform functions is
for the purpose of generating and/or performing one or more of
determining and/or reconstructing a subject's consensus genomic
sequence, comparing a subject's genomic sequence to a referent
sequence, e.g., a reference or model genetic sequence, determining
the manner in which the subject's genomic DNA and/or RNA differs
from a referent, e.g., variant calling, and/or for performing a
tertiary analysis on the subject's genomic sequence, such as for
whole genome analysis, such as genome-wide variation analysis
and/or genome typing analysis, gene function analysis, protein
function analysis, e.g., protein binding analysis, quantitative
and/or assembly analysis of genomes and/or transcriptomes,
micro-array analysis, panels analysis, exome analysis, micro-biome
analysis, and/or clinical analysis, such as cancer analysis, NIPT
analysis, and/or UCS analysis, as well as for various diagnostic,
and/or a prophylactic and/or therapeutic evaluation analyses.
[0169] Particularly, once the genetic data has been generated
and/or processed, e.g., in one or more primary and/or secondary
processing protocols, such as by being mapped, aligned, and/or
sorted, such as to produce one or more variant call files, for
instance, to determine how the genetic sequence data from a subject
differs from one or more reference sequences, a further aspect of
the disclosure may be directed to performing one or more other
analytical functions on the generated and/or processed genetic data
such as for further, e.g., tertiary, processing. For example, the
system may be configured for further processing of the generated
and/or secondarily processed data, such as by running it through
one or more tertiary processing pipelines, such as one or more of a
genome pipeline, an epigenome pipeline, metagenome pipeline, joint
genotyping, a MuTect2 pipeline, or other tertiary processing
pipeline, such as by the devices and methods disclosed herein. For
instance, in various instances, an additional layer of processing
may be provided, such as for disease diagnostics, therapeutic
treatment, and/or prophylactic prevention, such as including NIPT,
NICU, Cancer, LDT, AgBio, and other such disease diagnostics,
prophylaxis, and/or treatments employing the data generated by one
or more of the present primary and/or secondary and/or tertiary
pipelines. Hence, the devices and methods herein disclosed may be
used to generate genetic sequence data, which data may then be used
to generate one or more variant call files and/or other associated
data that may further be subject to the execution of other tertiary
processing pipelines in accordance with the devices and methods
disclosed herein, such as for particular and/or general disease
diagnostics as well as for prophylactic and/or therapeutic
treatment and/or developmental modalities.
[0170] Further, in various embodiments, a bioinformatics processing
regime, as disclosed herein, may be employed for the purpose of
creating one or more masks, such as a genome reference mask, a
default mask, a disease mask, and/or an iterative feed back mask,
which may be added to the mapper and/or aligner, e.g., along with a
reference, wherein the mask set is configured so as to identify a
particular area or object of interest. For instance, in one
embodiment, the methods and apparatuses described herein may be
employed so as to create genome reference mask, such as by creating
a mask-set that can be loaded into the mapper and/or aligner along
with a reference, wherein the mask set is configured so as to
identify areas of high importance and/or relevance, e.g., to the
practitioner or subject, and/or so as to identify areas having
increased susceptibility to errors. In various embodiments, the
mask-set may provide intelligent guidance to the mapper and/or
aligner such as on which areas of the genome to focus on to improve
quality. Masks, therefore, can be created in a layered manner to
provide varying levels or iterations of guidance based on various
specific applications. Each mask accordingly could identify the
areas of interest and provide a minimum quality target for the
area. Additionally, a default mask may be employed to provide
guidance, such as on an identified, e.g., typical, "high value"
areas of the genome. Such areas could include known coding areas,
control areas, etc. as well as areas that are well known to produce
errors. Further, a disease mask, or application specific mask, may
be employed to the mask-set that identifies areas of high
importance, such as areas that require very high levels of accuracy
based on known markers, e.g., Cancer. Further still, iterative
feedback masking may be employed, such as by adding a new, ad-hoc
mask, that may be specifically designed by using feedback from a
tertiary analysis system (like Cypher Genomics) that has identified
areas of concern based on observed errors or inconsistencies.
[0171] As indicated above, in one aspect one or more of these
platform functions, e.g., mapping, aligning, sorting, realignment,
duplicate marking, base quality score recalibration, variant
calling, one or more tertiary processing modules, compression,
and/or decompression functions is configured for implementation in
software. In another embodiment, one or more of these platform
functions, e.g., mapping, aligning, sorting, local realignment,
duplicate marking, base quality score recalibration, decompression,
variant calling, tertiary processing, compression, and/or
decompresion functions is configured for implementation in
hardware.
[0172] Accordingly, in certain instances, methods are presented
herein where the method involves the performance of an algorithm,
such as an algorithm for performing one or more genetic analysis
functions such as mapping, aligning, sorting, realignment,
duplicate marking, base quality score recalibration, variant
calling, compression, and/or decompression where the algorithm has
been optimized in accordance with the manner in which it is to be
implemented. In particular, where the algorithm is to be
implemented in a software solution, the algorithm and/or its
attendant processes, has been optimized so as to be performed
faster and/or with better accuracy for execution by that media.
Likewise, where the functions of the algorithm are to be
implemented in a hardware solution, the hardware has been designed
to perform these functions and/or their attendant processes in an
optimized manner so as to be performed faster and/or with better
accuracy for execution by that media. These methods, for instance,
can be employed such as in an iterative variant calling
procedure.
[0173] Hence, in one aspect, presented herein are systems,
apparatuses, and methods for implementing bioinformatic protocols,
such as for performing one or more functions for analyzing genetic
data, such as genomic data, for instance, via one or more optimized
algorithms and/or on one or more optimized integrated circuits,
such as on one or more hardware processing platforms. Hence, in one
instance, systems and methods are provided for implementing one or
more algorithms for the performance of one or more steps for
analyzing genomic data in a bioinformatics protocol, such as where
the steps may include the performance of one or more of: mapping,
aligning, sorting, local realignment, duplicate marking, base
quality score recalibration, variant calling, compression, and/or
decompression. In another instance, systems and methods are
provided for implementing the functions of one or more algorithms
for the performance of one or more steps for analyzing genomic data
in a bioinformatics protocol, as set forth herein, wherein the
functions are implemented on a hardware accelerator, which may or
may not be coupled with one or more general purpose processors
and/or super computers.
[0174] More specifically, in some instances, methods for performing
secondary analytics on data pertaining to the genetic composition
of a subject are provided. In one instance, the analytics to be
performed may involve reference based reconstruction of the subject
genome. For instance, referenced based mapping involves the use of
a reference genome, which may be generated from sequencing the
genome of a single or multiple individuals, or it may be an
amalgamation of various people's DNA that have been combined in
such a manner so as to produce a prototypical, standard reference
genome to which any individual's DNA may be compared, for example,
so as to determine and reconstruct the individual's genetic
sequence and/or for determining the difference between their
genetic makeup and that of the standard reference, e.g., variant
calling.
[0175] More particularly, a reason for performing a secondary
analysis on a subject's sequenced DNA is to determine how the
subject's DNA varies from that of the reference. More specifically,
to determine one, a multiplicity, or all the differences in the
nucleotide sequence of the subject from that of the reference. For
instance, the differences between the genetic sequences of any two
random persons is 1 in 1,000 base pairs, which when taken in view
of the entire genome of over 3 billion base pairs amounts to a
variation of up to 3,000,000 divergent base pairs per person.
Determining these differences may be useful such as in a tertiary
analysis protocol, for instance, so as to predict the potential for
the occurrence of a diseased state, such as because of a genetic
abnormality, and/or the likelihood of success of a prophylactic or
therapeutic modality, such as based on how a prophylactic or
therapeutic is expected to interact with the subject's DNA or the
proteins generated therefrom. In various instances, it may be
useful to perform both a de novo and a reference based
reconstruction of the subject's genome so as to confirm the results
of one against the other, and to, where desirable, enhance the
accuracy of a variant calling protocol.
[0176] In various instances, as set forth above, it may be useful
in performing a primary sequencing protocol to produce oversampling
for one or more regions of the subject's genome. These regions may
be selected based on known areas of increased variability,
suspected regions of variability, such as based on the condition of
the subject, and/or on the entire genome generally. In its basic
form, as indicated above, based on the type of sequencing protocols
performed, sequencing produces readouts, e.g., reads, that are
digital representations of the subject's genetic sequence code.
These read lengths are typically designed based on the type of
sequencing machinery being employed. For instance, the 454
automated sequencer from ROCHE, typically produces read lengths
from 100 or 150 base pairs in length to about 1,000 base pairs; for
ILLUMINA the read lengths are typically engineered to be from about
100 or 101 to about 150 base pairs in length for some of their
technology, and 250 base pairs in length for other of their
technology; for LIFE TECHNOLOGIES the read lengths are typically
engineered to be from about 50 to about 60 base pairs in length for
their SOLiD technology and from 35 to 450 base pairs in length for
their Ion Torrent technology; and for the HELICOS GENETIC ANALYSIS
SYSTEMS the read lengths may vary but may typically be less than
1,000 nucleotides in length.
[0177] However, because the processing of the DNA sample required
to produce engineered read lengths of a specific size is both labor
and chemistry intensive, and because the sequencing itself often
depends on the functioning of the sequencing machinery, there is
some possibility that errors may be made throughout the sequencing
process thereby introducing an abnormality into that portion of the
sequenced genome where the error occurred. Such errors can be
problematic especially where a purpose for reconstructing the
subject's genome is to determine how it or at least a portion of
the genome varies from a standard or model reference. For instance,
a machine or chemistry error resulting in the change of one
nucleotide, e.g., in a read, for another will give a false
indication of a variation that is not really there. This can result
in an incorrect variant call and may further result in the false
indication of a diseased state and the like. Accordingly, because
of the possibility of machine, chemistry, and/or even human error
in the execution of a sequencing protocol, in many instances, it is
desirable to build redundancy into an analysis system, such as by
oversampling portions of or the entire genome. More particularly,
as an automated sequencer produces a FASTQ file calling out a
sequence of reads having nucleotides at a given position along with
the probability that the call for a given nucleotide being at the
called position is actually incorrect, e.g., a base call, it is
often desirable to employ methods, such as oversampling, for
ensuring that base calls made by the sequencing processes can be
detected and corrected.
[0178] Hence, in performing the methods herein described, in
certain instances, a primary sequencing protocol is performed in
such a manner so as to produce a sequenced genome where a portion
or the entire genome is oversampled by about 10.times., about
15.times., about 20.times., about 25.times., about 30.times. about
40.times., such as about 50.times. or more. Accordingly, where the
read lengths are engineered to be about 50-60 base pairs in length,
this oversampling can result in about 2 to about 2.5 billion reads,
or where the read lengths are about 100 or 101 base pairs in
length, oversampling may result in about 1 to about 1.2 billion
reads, and where the read lengths are about 1,000 base pairs in
length, about 50 to about 100 million reads may be generated by the
sequencer, such as where the oversampling is about 40.times.. More
particularly, in such an instance, because of the 40.times.
oversampling, at any given point in the genome it is expected that
there will be 40 reads to cover any one position albeit, the given
position might be at the beginning of one read, the middle of
another, and the end of another, but it is expected to be covered
about 40 times.
[0179] Therefore, such oversampling produces regions of the
sequenced genome that are covered by a multiplicity of reads, e.g.,
duplications, such as up to about 40 reads, for instance, where the
oversampling is about 40.times.. These at least partial
duplications are useful in determining whether any given variation
in any particular read is in fact an actual genomic variation or
rather a machine or chemistry artifact. Hence, oversampling can be
employed to improve the accuracy in reconstructing the subject's
genome, especially in instances where the subject's genome is to be
compared against a reference genome so as to determine those
instances where the subject's genetic sequence differs from that of
the reference genetic sequence. In a manner such as this, as
described in greater detail herein below, it can be confirmed that
any given variation between the reconstructed sequence and the
model is in fact due to the presence of an actual variant and not
an error in the initial processing of sample DNA, or read alignment
software, etc.
[0180] For instance, in building the genetic sequence of the
individual's sequenced DNA, it must be determined what nucleotide
goes where in the growing string of nucleotides. In order to
determine what nucleotide goes where, the various reads can be
organized and a pile up of reads covering duplicate locations can
be built up. This allows for a comparison to be made of all the
reads covering the same locations so as to more accurately
determine if there is an actual variation at any given position or
if there may be an error in any one read at the position in
question in the pileup. For example, if there is only one or two of
the reads out of the 40 that has a particular nucleotide at
position X, and all 38 or 39 other reads agree on a different
nucleotide being at that position, then the two outlying reads may
be excluded as being in error, at least at this specific
location.
[0181] More particularly, where there are a multiplicity of reads
generated for any one location of the subject's genome, there are
likely to be multiple overlaps or pile-ups for any given nucleotide
position. These pile-ups represent the coverage for any particular
location and may be useful for determining with better accuracy the
correct sequence of the subject's genome. For instance, as
indicated, sequencing results in the production of reads, and in
various instances, the reads produced are over sampled, and so at
various positions various particular reads will overlap. This
overlapping is useful for determining the actual sample genome such
as with a high probability of correctness.
[0182] The purpose, therefore, may be to scan over the reference
genome incrementally multiple times, as described in greater detail
herein below, so as to more accurately reconstruct the subject's
genome, and where it is desirable to determine how the subject's
genome differs from a different genome, e.g., a model genome, the
use of pile-ups can more accurately identify errors, such as
chemical, machine, or read errors, and distinguish them from actual
variants. More specifically, where the subject has an actual
variation at position X, the majority of reads in the pile up
should verify, e.g., include, that variation. Statistical analysis
procedures, such as those described herein, may then performed to
determine the actual genetic sequence of the subject with all its
variants from a reference genome.
[0183] For instance, where the subject's genetic sequence is to be
rebuilt with respect to the use of a reference genome, once the
reads, e.g., a pile-up of reads, have been generated, the next
steps may be to map and/or align and/or sort the reads to one or
more reference genomes (e.g., the more exemplary reference genomes
available as models the better the analysis is likely to be) and
thereby rebuild the genome of the subject, this results in a series
of reads that have been mapped and/or aligned with the reference
genome(s) at all possible positions along the chain where there is
a match, and at each such position they are given a probability
score as to the probability that they actually belong in that
position.
[0184] Accordingly, in various instances, once the reads have been
generated, their positions mapped, e.g., the potential locations in
the reference genome to which the reads may map have been
determined, and their sequential order aligned, the actual genetic
sequence of the subject's genome may be determined, such as by
performing a sorting function on the aligned data. Further, once
the actual sample genome is known and compared to the reference
genome, the variations between the two can be determined, a list of
all the variations/deviations between the reference genome and the
sample genome are determined and called out. Such variations
between the two genetic sequences may be due to a number of
reasons.
[0185] For instance, there may be a single nucleotide polymorphism
(SNP), such as wherein one base in the subject's genetic sequence
has been substituted for another; there may be more extensive
substitutions of a plurality of nucleotides; there may be an
insertion or a deletion, such as where one or a multiplicity of
bases have been added to or deleted from the subject's genetic
sequence, and/or there may be a structural variant, e.g., such as
caused by the crossing of legs of two chromosomes, and/or there may
simply be an offset causing a shift in the sequence. In various
instances, a variant call file containing all the variations of the
subject's genetic sequence to the reference sequence is generated.
More particularly, in various embodiments, the methods of the
disclosure include generating a variant call file (VCF) identifying
one or more, e.g., all of the genetic variants in the individual
who's DNA was sequenced, e.g., relevant to one or more reference
genomes. The VCF in its basic form is a list of locations of
variants and their type: e.g., chromosome 3, at position X, an "A"
is substituted for a "T", etc.
[0186] However, as indicated above, in order to generate such a
variant call file, the genome of the subject must be sequenced and
rebuilt prior to determining its variants. There are, however,
several problems that may occur when attempting to generate such an
assembly. As noted above, there may be problems with the chemistry,
the sequencing machine, and/or human error that occurs in the
sequencing process. Additionally, there may be genetic artifacts
that make such reconstructions problematic. For instance, a problem
with performing such assemblies is that there are sometimes huge
portions of the genome that repeat themselves, such as long
sections of the genome that include the same strings of
nucleotides. Hence, because any genetic sequence is not unique
everywhere, it may be difficult to determine where in the genome an
identified read actually maps and aligns.
[0187] For instance, dependent on the sequencing protocol employed
shorter or longer reads may be produced. Longer reads are useful in
that the longer the read the less likely it is to show up in
multiple locations in the genome. Having fewer possible locations
to evaluate can also speed up the system. However, the longer the
reads the more problematic they may be because the more likely they
are to include a real or false variation, e.g., caused by an SNP,
InDel (insertion or deletion), or a machine error, or the like,
resulting in a no match between the read and the reference genome.
On the other hand, shorter reads are useful because the shorter the
read the less likely it is to cover a position that codes for a
variant. A problem with shorter reads however is that the shorter
the read the more likely it is to show up at multiple positions in
the genome, thus requiring additional processing time and resources
so as to determine which out of all possible positions is the most
likely actual position to where it aligns. Ideally what may be
achieved, such as by practicing the methods herein disclosed, is
that a variant call file may be produced wherein a list of the
sequenced genome (the query sequence) is generated that shows where
all the variant base pairs are, making sure each variant called is
an actual variant and not simply a chemistry or machine read or
other human based error.
[0188] There are, therefore, two main possibilities for variation.
For one, there is an actual variation at the particular location in
question, for instance, where the person's genome is in fact
different at a particular location than that of the reference,
e.g., there is a natural variation due to an SNP (one base
substitution), an Insertion or Deletion (of one or more nucleotides
in length), and/or there is a structural variant, such as where the
DNA material from one chromosome gets crossed onto a different
chromosome or leg, or where a certain region gets copied twice in
the DNA. Alternatively, a variation may be caused by there being a
problem in the read data, either through chemistry or the machine,
sequencer or aligner, or other human error. Accordingly, the
methods disclosed herein may be employed in a manner so as to
compensate for these types of errors, and more particularly so as
to distinguish errors in variation due to chemistry, machine or
human, and real variations in the sequenced genome. More
specifically, the methods, apparatuses, and systems for employing
the same, as here in described, have been developed so as to
clearly distinguish between these two different types of variations
and therefore to better ensure the accuracy of any call files
generated so as to correctly identify true variants.
[0189] Further, in various embodiments, once the subject's genome
has been reconstructed and/or a VCF has been generated, such data
may then be subjected to tertiary processing so as to interpret it,
such as for determining what the data means with respect to
identifying what diseases this person may or may have the potential
for suffer from and/or for determining what treatments or lifestyle
changes this subject may want to employ so as to ameliorate and/or
prevent a diseased state. For example, the subject's genetic
sequence and/or their variant call file may be analyzed to
determine clinically relevant genetic markers that indicate the
existence or potential for a diseased state and/or the efficacy of
a proposed therapeutic or prophylactic regimen may have on the
subject. This data may then be used to provide the subject with one
or more therapeutic or prophylactic regimens so as to better the
subject's quality of life, such as treating and/or preventing a
diseased state.
[0190] More particularly, medical science technologies have
advanced in conjunction with the advancement of information
technologies, which advancement has enhanced our ability to store
and analyze medical data. Hence, once one or more of an
individual's genetic variations are determined, such variant call
file information can be used to develop medically useful
information, which in turn can be used to determine, e.g., using
various known statistical analysis models, health related data
and/or medical useful information, e.g., for diagnostic purposes,
e.g., diagnosing a disease or potential therefore, clinical
interpretation (e.g., looking for markers that represent a disease
variant), whether the subject should be included or excluded in
various clinical trials, and other such purposes. As there are a
finite number of diseased states that are caused by genetic
malformations, in tertiary processing variants of a certain type,
e.g., those known to be related to the onset of diseased states,
can be queried for, such as by determining if one or more genetic
based diseased markers are included in the variant call file of the
subject.
[0191] Consequently, in various instances, the methods herein
disclosed may involve analyzing, e.g., scanning, the VCF and/or the
generated sequence, against a known disease sequence variant, such
as in a data base of genomic markers therefore, so as to identify
the presence of the genetic marker in the VCF and/or the generated
sequence, and if present to make a call as to the presence or
potential for a genetically induced diseased state. As there are a
large number of known genetic variations and a large number of
individual's suffering from diseases caused by such variations, in
some embodiments, the methods disclosed herein may entail the
generation of one or more databases linking sequenced data for an
entire genome and/or a variant call file pertaining thereto, e.g.,
such as from an individual or a plurality of individuals, and a
diseased state and/or searching the generated databases to
determine if a particular subject has a genetic composition that
would predispose them to having such diseased state. Such searching
may involve a comparison of one entire genome with one or more
others, or a fragment of a genome, such as a fragment containing
only the variations, to one or more fragments of one or more other
genomes such as in a database of reference genomes or fragments
thereof.
[0192] Further, it is understood that the genetic sequences to be
employed in these manners may be DNA, ssDNA, RNA, mRNA, rRNA, tRNA,
or the like. Hence, although throughout the present disclosure
various mention is made to various methods and apparatuses for
analyzing genomic DNA, in various instances, the systems,
apparatuses and methods disclosed herein are equally suitable for
performing their respective functions, e.g., analysis, on all types
of genetic material including DNA, ssDNA, RNA, mRNA, rRNA, tRNA,
and the like. Additionally, in various instances, the methods of
the disclosure may include analyzing the generated genetic
sequence, e.g., DNA, ssDNA, RNA, mRNA, rRNA, tRNA, and the like,
from the subject and determining therefrom the protein variations
which are likely to be caused by the genetic sequence and/or
determining and/or predicting the potential for a diseased state
therefrom, such as due to an error in protein expression. It is to
be noted that the genetic sequence obtained can represent an intron
or an exon, for instance, the genetic sequence can be for a coding
portion of the DNA only, such as where an exome is obtained and
using known processing techniques only the coding regions, or
non-coding regions, may be sequenced, which can lead to faster
sequencing and/or faster processing times, albeit involving a more
difficult sample preparation procedure.
[0193] Currently, such steps and analyses herein described are
typically performed in various distinct and unrelated steps often
employing different analytic machines at different locations.
Accordingly, in various aspects the methods and systems of the
disclosure are performed by a single apparatus and/or at one
location, such as in conjunction with an automated sequencer or
other apparatus configured to generate genetic sequence data. In
various instances, a plurality of apparatuses may be employed at
the same location, or a multiplicity of remote locations, and in
some instances, the methods may involve two or more processing
units being deployed at two or more locations.
[0194] For instance, in various aspects a pipeline may be provided
wherein the pipeline includes performing one or more analytic
functions, as described herein, on a genomic genetic sequence of
one or more individuals, such as data obtained in a digital, e.g.,
FASTQ, file format from an automated sequencer. A typical pipeline
to be executed may include one or more of sequencing genetic
material, such as a portion or an entire genome, of one or more
subjects, which genetic material may include DNA, ssDNA, RNA, rRNA,
tRNA, and the like, and/or in some instances the genetic material
may represent coding or non-coding regions, such as exomes,
episomes of the DNA. The pipeline may include one or more of
performing a base calling and/or error correction operation, such
as on the digitized genetic data, and/or may include one or more of
performing a mapping, an alignment, and/or a sorting function on
the genetic data. In certain instances, the pipeline may include
performing one or more of a realignment, a deduplication, a base
quality or score recalibration, a reduction and/or compression,
and/or a decompression on the digitized genetic data. In certain
instances the pipeline may include performing a variant calling
operation on the genetic data.
[0195] Therefore, in various instances, a pipeline of the
disclosure may include one or more modules, wherein the modules are
configured for performing one or more functions, such as a base
calling and/or error correction operation and/or a mapping and/or
an alignment and/or a sorting function on genetic data, e.g.,
sequenced genetic data. And in various instances, the pipeline may
include one or more modules, wherein the modules are configured for
performing one more of a local realignment, a deduplication, a base
quality score recalibration, a variant calling, a reduction and/or
compression, and/or a decompression on the genetic data. Many of
these modules may either be performed by software or on hardware or
remotely, e.g., via software and/or hardware, such as on the cloud
or a remote server and/or server bank.
[0196] Additionally, many of these steps and/or modules of the
pipeline are optional and/or can be arranged in any logical order
and/or omitted entirely. For instance, the software and/or hardware
disclosed herein may or may not include a base calling or sequence
correction algorithm, such as where there may be concern that such
functions may result in a statistical bias. Consequently the system
will include or will not include the base calling and/or sequence
correction function, respectively, dependent on the level of
accuracy and/or efficiency desired. And as indicated above, one or
more of the pipeline functions may be employed in the generation of
a genomic sequence of a subject such as through a reference based
genomic reconstruction. Also as indicated above, in certain
instances, the output from the pipeline is a variant call file
indicating a portion or all the variants in a genome or a portion
thereof.
[0197] Accordingly, as indicated above, the output of performing a
sequencing protocol, such as one or more of those set forth above,
is typically a digital representation of the subject's genetic
material, such as in a FASTQ file format. However, an autorad that
has been digitally transcribed may also be employed. More
particularly, the output from a sequencing protocol may include a
plurality of reads, where each read includes a sequence, e.g., a
string, of nucleotides where the position of every nucleotide has
been called, and a quality score representing the probability that
the called nucleotide is wrong. However, the quality of these
outputs may be improved by various pre-processing protocols so as
to achieve higher quality of scores, which one or more of such
protocols may be employed in the methods disclosed herein.
[0198] For instance, in certain instances, the raw FASTQ file data
may be processed to clean up the initial base calls obtained from
the sequencer/reader, such as in a primary processing stage, e.g.,
prior to the secondary processing described herein above.
Specifically, the sequencer/reader typically analyzes the
sequencing data, such as the fluorescent or electromagnetic data,
indicating which nucleotide is at what position, and converts the
image data into a base call with a quality score, such as where the
quality score is based on the comparative brightness of the
fluorescence at each position. A specialized algorithm may be
employed, such as in a primary processing stage, to correctly
analyze these distinctions in fluorescence and/or electromagnetism,
so as to more accurately make the appropriate base call. As
indicated above, this step may be included in a pipeline of steps
and may be implemented via software or hardware or both, however,
in this instance would be part of a primary processing
platform.
[0199] An additional preprocessing step may include an error
correction function, which may include an attempt to take the
millions to billions of reads in the FASTQ file and correct some
proportion of any mechanical sequencing error with the information
pertaining to the base call and quality score available prior to
any further processing such as mapping, alignment, and/or sorting
functions, etc. For instance, the reads within the FASTQ file may
be analyzed to determine if there are any sub-sequences in any of
the reads that appear in other reads, which because of the
duplicate coverage can increase confidence that the subsequences in
the reads may be correct. This may be implemented by building a
hash table containing all possible k-mers of a selected length, k,
from every read, and storing with each one its frequency and also
which bases immediately follow it and with what probability. Then,
using the hash table each read can be rescanned. As each k-mer in a
particular read is looked up in the hash table, and evaluation can
be made as to whether the base immediately following that k-mer is
likely to be correct or not. If it is unlikely, then it can be
replaced with the most likely one to follow from the table.
Subsequent k-mers for that read will then include the corrected
base as the value at that position and the process is repeated.
This can be highly effective in correcting errors because
oversampling enables gathering accurate statistics for predicting
what comes next after each k-mer. However, as indicated above, such
corrections could add statistical biasing to the system, such as
due to false corrections, to the data, and so these procedures can
be skipped if desired.
[0200] Accordingly, in accordance with the aspects of the
disclosure, in various instances, the methods, apparatuses, and/or
systems of the disclosure, may include obtaining read data, that
either have or have not been preprocessed, such as by being
obtained directly from a FASTQ file of an automated sequencer, and
subjecting the obtained data to one or more of a mapping, aligning,
and/or sorting function. The performance of such functions may be
useful, for instance, because, as set forth above, in various
instances, the sequencing data typically generated by various
automated sequencers, e.g., reads, have lengths that are
substantially shorter than the entire genomic sequence being
analyzed, and since the human genome typically has a multiplicity
of repetitive sections, and is known to have various repeating
patterns in it, there may be therefore a multiplicity of locations
that any given read sequence may correspond to a segment in the
human genome. Consequently, given all the possibilities a given
read may match to the sequence of the genome, such as because of
various repeating sequences in the genome, etc. the raw read data
may not clearly indicate which one of the possibilities is in fact
the correct location from which it was derived. Hence, for each
read it will need to be determined to where in the genome the reads
actually map. Additionally, it may also be useful to determine the
sequential alignment of the reads, so as to determine the actual
sequence identity of the subject, and/or it may also be useful to
determine the chromosomal location for each portion of the
sequence.
[0201] In various instances, the methods of the disclosure may be
directed to mapping, aligning, and/or sorting the raw read data of
the FASTQ files so as to find all the likely places that a given
read may be aligned, and/or to determine the actual sequence
identify of a subject, and/or to determine the chromosome location
for each portion of the sequence. For example, mapping may be
employed so as to map the generated reads to the reference genome
and thereby find the location where each read appears to match well
to the genome, e.g., finding all the places where there might be a
good score for aligning any given read to the reference genome.
Mapping therefore may involve taking one or more, e.g., all, of the
raw or preprocessed reads received from the FASTQ file and
comparing the reads with one or more reference genomes and
determining where the read may match with the reference genome(s).
In its basic from, mapping involves finding the location(s) in the
reference genome where one or more of the FASTQ reads obtained from
the sequencer appears to match.
[0202] Likewise, alignment may be employed so as to evaluate all
the candidate locations of the individual reads against a window of
the reference genome to determine where and how the read sequences
best align to the genome. However, performing an alignment may be
difficult due to substitutions, insertions, deletions, structural
variations, and the like which may prevent the read from aligning
exactly. There are, therefore, several different ways to get an
alignment, but to do so may require making changes in the read,
where each change that needs to be made to get the appropriate
alignment results in a lower confidence score. For instance, any
given read may have substitutions, insertions, and/or deletions as
compared to the reference genome, and these variations need to be
accounted for in performing an alignment.
[0203] Accordingly, along with the predicted alignment a
probability score that the predicted alignment is correct may also
be given. This score indicates the best alignment for any given
read amongst multiple locations where that read may align. For
example, the alignment score is predicated upon how well a given
read matches a potential map location and may include stretching,
condensing, and changing bits and pieces of the read so as to get
the best alignment.
[0204] The score will reflect all the ways the read was changed so
as to accommodate the reference. For instance, in order to generate
an alignment between the read and the reference one or more gaps in
the read may need to be inserted, wherein the insertion of each gap
represents a deletion in the read over the reference. Likewise,
deletions may need to be made in the read, wherein each deletion
represents an insertion in the read over the reference. Such
iterations may be performed with respect to changing the reference
in view of the read, if desired. Additionally, various bases may
need to be changed such as due to one or more substitutions. Each
of these changes are made to make the read(s) more exactly align to
the reference, but each change comes with a cost to the quality
score, which score is a measure as to how well the entire read
matches to some region of the reference. The confidence in such
quality scores is then determined by looking at all the locations
the read can be made to map to the genome and comparing the scores
at each location, and choosing the one with the highest score. More
particularly, where there are multiple positions with high quality
scores, then confidence is low, but where the difference between
the first and second best scores is large, then confidence is high.
At the end, all the proposed reads and confidence scores are
evaluated and the best fit is selected.
[0205] Once the reads are assigned a position relative to the
reference genome, which consists of identifying to which chromosome
the read belongs and its offset from the beginning of that
chromosome, they may be sorted, such as by position. This enables
downstream, e.g., tertiary, analyses to take advantage of the
various oversampling protocols described herein. All of the reads
that overlap a given position in the genome may be adjacent to each
other after sorting and they can be piled up and readily examined
to determine if the majority of them agree with the reference value
or not. If they do not, as indicated above, a variant can be
flagged.
[0206] As indicated above, the FASTQ file obtained from the
sequencer is comprised of a plurality, e.g., millions to a billion
or more, of reads consisting of short strings of nucleotide
sequence data representing a portion or the entire genome of an
individual. Mapping, in general, involves plotting the reads to all
the locations in the reference genome to where there is a match.
For example, dependent on the size of the read there may be one or
a plurality of locations where the read substantially matches a
corresponding sequence on the reference genome. Accordingly, the
mapping and/or other functions disclosed herein may be configured
for determining where out of all the possible locations one or more
reads may match to in the reference genome is actually the true
location to where they map.
[0207] It is possible to compare every read with every position in
the 3.2 billion reference genome to determine where, if any, the
reads match to the reference genome. This may be done, for
instance, where the read lengths approach about 100,000
nucleotides, about 200,000 nucleotides, about 400,000 nucleotides,
about 500,000 nucleotides, even about 1,000,000 or more nucleotides
in length. However, where the reads are substantially shorter in
length, such as where there are 50 million reads or more, e.g., 1
billion reads, this process could take a very long time and require
a large amount of computing resources. Accordingly, there are
several methods, such as described herein, that have been developed
for aligning the FASTQ reads to the reference genome in a much
quicker manner. For instance, as disclosed above, one or more
algorithms may be employed so as to map one or more of the reads
generated by the sequencer, e.g., as a FASTQ file, and match them
to the reference genome, so as to determine where in the reference
genome the subject reads potentially map.
[0208] For instance, in various methods, an index of the reference
is generated, so that the reads or portions of the reads may be
looked up in the index, retrieving indications of locations in the
reference, so as to map the reads to the reference. Such an index
of the reference can be constructed in various forms and queried in
various manners. In some methods, the index may include a prefix
and/or a suffix tree. In other various methods, the index may
include a Burrows/Wheeler transform of the reference. In further
methods, the index may include one or more hash tables, and a hash
function may be performed on one or more portions of the reads in
an effort to map the reads to the reference. In various instances,
one or more of these algorithms may be performed sequentially or at
the same time so as to accurately determine where one or more,
e.g., a substantial portion or every, read correctly matches with
the reference genome.
[0209] Each of these algorithms may have advantages and/or
disadvantages. For example, a prefix and/or suffix Tree and/or a
Burrows/Wheeler transformation may be performed on the sequence
data in such a manner that the index of the reference genome is
constructed and/or queried as a tree-like data structure, where
starting from a single-base or short subsequence of a read, the
subsequence is incrementally extended within the read, each
incremental extension stimulating accesses to the index, tracing a
path through the tree-like data structure, until the subsequence
becomes unique enough, e.g., an optimal length has been attained,
and/or a leaf node is reached in the tree-like data structure, the
leaf or last-accessed tree node indicating one or more positions in
the reference genome from which the read may have originated. These
algorithms, therefore, typically do not have a fixed length for the
read subsequences that may be mapped by querying the index. A hash
function, however, often employs a fixed length comparison unit
that may be the entire length of the read, but is often times a
length that is some sub-portion thereof, which sub-portion is
termed a seed. Such seeds can be shorter or longer, but unlike with
the prefix and/or suffix trees and/or the Burrows/Wheeler
transformations, the seeds of the reads employed in a hash function
are typically of a preselected, fixed length.
[0210] A prefix and/or suffix tree is a data structure that is
built up from the reference genome, such that each link from a
parent node to a child node is labeled or associated with a
nucleotide or sequence of nucleotides, and each path from a root
node through various links and nodes traces a path whose associated
aggregate nucleotide sequence matches some continuous subsequence
of the reference genome. The node reached by such a path is
implicitly associated with the reference subsequence traced by its
path from the root. Proceeding from the root node, subsequences in
a prefix tree grow forward in the reference genome, whereas
subsequences in a suffix tree grow backward in the reference
genome. Both a prefix tree and a suffix tree may be used in a
hybrid prefix/suffix algorithm, so that subsequences may grow in
either direction. Prefix and suffix trees may also contain
additional links, such as jumping from a node associated with one
reference subsequence to another node associated with a shorter
reference subsequence.
[0211] For instance, a tree-like data structure serving as an index
of the reference genome may be queried by tracing a path through
the tree, corresponding to a subsequence of a read being mapped,
that is built up by adding nucleotides to the subsequence, using
the added nucleotides to select next links to traverse in the tree,
and going as deep as necessary until a unique sequence has been
generated. This unique sequence may also be termed a seed, and may
represent a branch and/or root of the sequence tree data structure.
Alternatively, the tree descent may be terminated before the
accumulated subsequence is fully unique, so that a seed may map to
multiple locations in the reference genome. Particularly, the tree
may be built out for every starting position for the reference
genome, then the generated reads may be compared against the
branches and/or roots of the tree and these sequences may be walked
through the tree to find where in the reference genome the read
fits. More particularly, the reads of the FASTQ file may be
compared to the branches and roots of the reference tree and once
matched therewith the location of the reads in the reference genome
may be determined. For example, a sample read may be walked along
the tree until a position is reached whereby it is determined that
the accumulated subsequence is unique enough so as to identify that
the read really does align to a particular position in the
reference, such as walking through the tree until a leaf node is
reached.
[0212] A disadvantage, however, of such a prefix and/or suffix tree
is that it is a huge data structure that must be accessed a
multiplicity of times as the tree is walked so as to map the reads
to the reference genome. An advantage of a hash table function, on
the other hand, as described in greater detail herein below, is
that once built, it typically only takes one look up to determine
where, if anywhere, there may be a match between a seed and the
reference. A prefix and/or suffix tree will typically take a
plurality of look ups, e.g., 5, 10, 15, 20, 25, 50, 100, 1,000, or
more, etc., in determining if and where there is a match. Further,
due to the double helix structure of DNA, a reverse complement tree
may also need to be built and searched, as the reverse complement
to the reference genome may also need to be found. With respect to
the above, the data tree is described as being built from the
reference genome which is then compared with the reads from the
subject's sequenced DNA, however, it is to be understood that the
data tree may initially be built from either the reference sequence
or the sample reads, or both, and compared one to the other as
described above.
[0213] Alternatively, or in addition to employing a prefix or a
suffix tree, a Burrows/Wheeler transform can be performed on the
data. For instance, a Burrows/Wheeler transform may be used to
store a tree-like data structure abstractly equivalent to a prefix
and/or suffix tree, in a compact format, such as in the space
allocated for storing the reference genome. In various instances,
the data stored is not in a tree-like structure, but rather the
reference sequence data is in a linear list that may have been
scrambled into a different order so as to transform it in a very
particular way such that the accompanying algorithm allows the
reference to be searched with reference to the sample reads so as
to effectively walk the "tree". An advantage of the Burrows/Wheeler
transform, such as over a prefix and/or suffix tree, is that it
typically requires less memory to store, and an advantage over a
hash function is that it supports a variable seed length, and hence
it can be searched until a unique sequence is determined and a
match found. For instance, as with the prefix/suffix tree, however
many nucleotides it takes for a given sequence to be unique, or to
map to a sufficiently small number of reference positions,
determines the length of the seed. Whereas for a hash table, the
seeds are all of the same predetermined length. A disadvantage,
however, for the Burrows/Wheeler transform is that it typically
requires a multiplicity of lookups, such as two or more look ups,
such as for every step down the tree.
[0214] Alternatively, or in addition to utilizing one or both a
prefix/suffix tree and/or a Burrows/Wheeler transform on the
reference genome and subject sequence data, so as to find where the
one maps against the other, another such method involves the
production of a hash table index and/or the performance of a hash
function. The hash table index may be a large reference structure
that is built up from sequences of the reference genome that may
then be compared to one or more portions of the read to determine
where the one may match to the other. Likewise, the hash table
index may be built up from portions of the read that may then be
compared to one or more sequences of the reference genome and
thereby used to determine where the one may match to the other.
[0215] More particularly, in any of the mapping algorithms
described herein, such as for implementation in any of the method
steps herein disclosed, one or all three mapping algorithms, or
others known in the art, may be employed, in software or hardware,
so as to map one or more sequences of a sample of sequenced DNA
with one or more sequences of one or more reference genomes. As
described herein in greater detail below, all of these operations
may be performed via software or by being hardwired, such as into
an integrated circuit, such as on a chip, for instance as part of a
circuit board. For instance, the functioning of one or more of
these algorithms may be embedded onto a chip, such as into a FPGA
(field programmable gate array) ASIC (application specific
integrated circuit) chip, or Structured ASIC (application specific
integrated circuit) chip, and may be optimized so as to perform
more efficiently because of their implementation in such
hardware.
[0216] Additionally, one or more, e.g., two or all three, of these
mapping functions may form a module, such as a mapping module, that
may form part of a system, e.g., a pipeline, that is used in a
process for determining an actual entire genomic sequence, or a
portion thereof, of an individual. The output returned from the
performance of a mapping function may be a list of possibilities as
to where one or more, e.g., each, read maps to one or more
reference genomes. For instance, the output for each mapped read
may be a list of possible locations the read may be mapped to a
matching sequence in the reference genome. In various embodiments,
an exact match to the reference for at least a piece, e.g., a seed
of the read, if not all of the read may be sought. Accordingly, in
various instances, it is not necessary for all portions of all the
reads to match exactly to all the portions of the reference
genome.
[0217] Further, one or all of these functions may be programmed in
such a manner that exact or approximate matching and/or editing,
such as editing of the results, may be performed. Hence, all of
these processes can be configured to do inexact matching as well,
where desired, such as in accordance with a preselected variance,
such as 80% matching, 85% matching, 90% matching, 95% matching, 99%
matching, or more. However, as described in greater detail herein
below, inexact matching may be a lot more expensive such as in time
and processing power requirements, because it may require any
number of edits, e.g., where the edit may be a SNP or insertion or
deletion of one or more bases, e.g., 1 or 2 or 3 or 5 or more
edits, to be performed so as to achieve an acceptable match. Such
editing is likely to be used more extensively in implementing
hashing protocols or when implementing prefix and/or suffix trees
and/or performing a Burrows/Wheeler transform.
[0218] With respect to hash tables, a hash table may be produced in
many different ways. In one instance, a hash table may be built by
breaking the reference genome into segments of standard length,
e.g., seeds of about 16 to about 30 nucleotides or more in length,
such as about 18 to about 28 nucleotides, formatting them into a
searchable table, and making an index of all the reference segments
from which sequenced DNA, e.g., one or more reads, or a portion
thereof, may be compared to determine matching. More particularly,
a hash table index may be generated by breaking down the reference
genome into segments of nucleotide sequences of known, uniform
length, e.g., seeds, and storing them in random order into
individual cubicles in the reference table. This may be done for a
portion or the entire reference genome so as to build an actual
reference index table that may be used to compare portions of the
reference genome with portions of one or more reads, such as from a
FASTQ file, for the purpose of determining matching.
[0219] This method may then be repeated in approximately the same
manner for a portion, e.g., a majority or all, of the reads in the
FASTQ file, so as to generate seeds of the appropriate, e.g.,
selected, length. For instance, the reads of the FASTQ file may be
used to produce seeds of a predetermined length, which seeds may be
converted into binary form and fed through a hash function and fit
into a hash table index where the binary form of the seeds may
match up with the binary segments of the reference genome, so as to
give the location as to where in the genome the sample seeds match
with the position in the reference genome.
[0220] For example, where the read is approximately 100 bases long,
a typical seed may be about half or a about a third, e.g., about 27
to about 30 bases, as long. Hence, in such an instance, for each
read a multiplicity of seeds, e.g., approximately 3 or 4 seeds
dependent on the length of the read and/or the length of the seeds,
may be generated to cover the read. Each seed may then be converted
into a binary form and/or then be fed into the hash table and a
possible result as to its position with respect to the reference
genome may be obtained. In such instances, the entire read need not
be compared to every possible position in the entire reference
genome, rather only a portion of the reads, e.g., one or more of
the generated sample seeds per read, need only be compared such as
to an index containing equivalent seed portions of the reference
genome. Hence, in various instances, a hash table may be configured
such that by only one memory look up it can typically be determined
where the sample seed and therefore read is positioned relative to
the reference genome. However, in certain instances, it may be
desirable to perform a hash function and look up on one or more
overlapping sections of seeds from one read. In such instances, the
seeds to be generated may be formed in such a manner that at least
a portion of their sequence overlaps one another. This may be
useful for instance in getting around machine and/or human errors
or differences between the subject and the reference genome and may
promote exact matching.
[0221] In certain instances, the building of the hash table as well
as the performance of one or more of the various comparisons is
executed by the hash function. The hash function is in part a
scrambler. It takes an input and gives what appears to be a random
order to it. In this instance, the hash function scrambler breaks
down the reference genome into segments of a preselected length and
places them randomly in the hash table. The data may then be stored
evenly across the whole storage space. Alternatively, the storage
space may be segmented and/or storage therein may be weighted
differently. More particularly, the hash function is a function
that takes any input and gives a number, such as a binary pattern
out, which number may typically random except that for any one
given input the same output is always returned. Hence, even if two
inputs that are fed into the hash table are almost the same,
because they are not an exact match, two completely, randomly
different outputs will be returned.
[0222] Further, since genetic material may be composed of four
basic nucleotides, e.g., "A", "C", "G", and "T" (or "U" in the case
of RNA), the individual nucleotides of the sequences, e.g., the
reference segments and or reads, or portions thereof, to be fed
into the hash table may be digitized and represented in binary
format, such as where each of the four bases represents a two bit
digital code, e.g., "A"=00, "C"=01, "G"=11, and "T"/"U"=10. In
certain instances, it is this binary "seed" value that is then
randomly placed in the hash table at a known location having a
value equal to its binary representation. The hash function,
therefore, works to break down the reference genome into binary
representations of reference seeds and inserts each binary seed
data into a random space, e.g., cubicle, in the hash table based on
its numeric value. Along with this digital binary code, e.g.,
access key, each cubicle may also include the actual entry points
to where the segment originated from in the actual reference
genome, e.g., the reference position. The reference position
therefore may be a number indicating the position of the original
reference seed in the genome. This may also be done for overlapping
positions, which are put into the table in random order but at
known location, such as by the hash function. In a manner such as
this, a hash table index may be generated, wherein the index
includes the digital binary code for a portion or all of a
plurality of segments of one or more reference genomes, which may
then be referenced by one or more sequences of genetic material,
e.g., one or more reads, or portions thereof, from one or more
individuals.
[0223] When implementing the hash table and/or function as a
module, such as a module in a pipeline of modules, on software
(such as where the bit width is 2.times. the number of bases in the
seed described above) and/or hardware, as referenced above, the
hash table can be built so that the binary representation of the
reference seeds can be any bit width desired. As the seeds can be
long or short, the binary representations can be greater or lesser,
but typically the seed length should be chosen so as to be long
enough to be unique, but not too long that it is too hard to find
matches between the seeds of the genome reference and the seeds of
the sample reads, such as because of errors or variants. For
instance, as indicated above, the human genome is made up of about
3.1 billion base pairs, and a typical read may be about 100
nucleotides in length. Hence, a useful seed length may be between
about 16 or about 18 nucleotides or less in length to about 28 or
about 30 nucleotides or more in length. For example, in certain
instances, the seed length may be a segment of 20 nucleotides in
length. In other instances, the seed length may be a segment of 28
nucleotides in length.
[0224] Consequently, where the seed length is a segment of 20
nucleotides, each segment may be represented digitally by a 40 bit
output, e.g., a 40 bit binary representation of the seed. For
example, where 2 bits are selected to represent each nucleotide,
e.g., such as where A=00, C=01, G=10, and T=11, a seed of 20
nucleotides.times.2 bits per nucleotide=a 40 bit (5 byte) vector,
e.g., number. Where the seed length may be 28 nucleotides in
length, the digital, e.g., binary, representation of the seed may
be a 56 bit vector. Hence, where the seed length is approximately
28 nucleotides in length, 56 bits can be employed to handle a 28
nucleotide seed length. More particularly, where the 56 bits
represents the binary form of the seeds of the reference genome
that have been randomly positioned in the hash table, a further 56
bits can be used to digitally represent the seeds of the read that
are to be matched against the seeds of the reference. These 56 bits
may be run through a polynomial that converts the 56 bits in to 56
bits out in a 1:1 correspondence. Without increasing or decreasing
the number of bits of output, performing this operation randomizes
the storage location of adjacent input values so that the various
seed values will be uniformly distributed among all possible
storage locations. This also serves to minimize collisions among
values that hash to the same location. In particular, in a typical
hash table implementation described herein, only a portion of the
56 bits is used as a lookup address to select a storage location
and the remaining bits are stored in that location for confirmation
of a match. If a hashing function were not used, a great many
patterns having the same address bits, but different stored bits
would have to share the same hash location.
[0225] More specifically, there is similarity between the way the
hash table is constructed, e.g., by software and/or hardware
placing the reference genome seeds randomly in the hash table, and
the way the hash table is accessed by the seeds of the reads being
hashed such that they both access the table in the same way. Hence,
seeds of the reference and seeds of the sample read that are the
same, e.g., have the same binary code, will end up in the same
location, e.g., address, in the table because they access the hash
table in the same manner, e.g., for the same input pattern. This is
the fastest known method for performing a pattern match. Each
lookup takes a nearly constant amount of time to perform. This may
be contrasted with a Burrows-Wheeler method which may require many
probes (the number may vary depending on how many bits are required
to find a unique pattern) per query to find a match, or a binary
search method that takes log.sub.2(N) probes where N is the number
of seed patterns in the table.
[0226] Further, even though the hash function can break the
reference genome down into segments of seeds of any given length,
e.g., 28 base pairs, and can then convert the seeds into a digital,
e.g., binary, representation of 56 bits, not all 56 bits need be
accessed entirely at the same time or in the same way. For
instance, the hash function can be implemented in such a manner
that the address for each seed is designated by a number less than
56 bits, such as about 20 to about 45 bits, such as about 25 to
about 40 bits, such as about 28 to about 35 bits, including about
28 to about 30 bits may be used as an initial key or address so as
to access the hash table.
[0227] For example, in certain instances, about 26 to about 29 bits
may be used as a primary access key for the hash table, leaving
about 27 to about 30 bits left over, which may be employed as a
means for double checking the first key, e.g., if both the first
and second keys arrive at the same cell in the hash table, then it
is relatively clear that said location is where they belong.
Specifically, in order to save space and reduce the memory
requirements and/or processing time of the hash module, such as
when the hash table and/or hash function are implemented in
hardware, the about 26 to about 29 bits representing the primary
access key derived from the original 56 bits representing the
digitized seed of a particular sequenced read may be employed by
the hashing function to comprise the primary address, leaving about
27 to about 30 bits that can be used in a double checking
method.
[0228] More particularly, in various instances, about 26 to about
29 bits from the 56 bits representing the binary form of a
reference seed may be employed to comprise a primary address, which
designated 26 to 29 bits may then be given a randomized location in
the hash table, which in turn may then be populated with the
location of where the reference seed originally came from along
with the remaining 27 to 30 bits of the seed so that an exact match
may be ascertained. The query seeds representing the reads of the
subject genome converted into binary form may also be hashed by the
same function in such a manner that they as well are represented by
29 bits comprising a primary access key. If the 29 bits
representing the reference seed are an exact match to the 29 bits
representing the query seeds, they both will be directed to the
same position in the hash table. If there was an exact match to the
reference seed, then we expect to find an entry at that location
containing the same remaining 27 to 30 bits. In such an instance,
the 29 designated address bits of the reference sequence may then
be looked up to identify the position in the reference to where the
query read from which the query seed was derived, aligns.
[0229] However, with respect to the left over 27 to 30 bits, these
bits may represent a secondary access key that may also be imported
into the hash table as well, such as for the purpose of ensuring
the results of the first 26 to 29 bits of the primary access key.
Because the hash table represents a perfect 1:1 scrambling of the
28 nucleotide/56 bit sequence, and only about 26 to about 29 of the
bits are used to determine the address, these 26 to 29 bits of the
primary access key have basically been checked, thereby determining
the correct address in a first go around. This data, therefore,
does not need to be confirmed. However, the remaining about 27 to
about 30 bits of the secondary access key must be checked.
Accordingly, the remaining about 27 to 30 bits of the query seeds
are inserted into the hash table as a means for completing the
match. Such an implementation may be shorter than storing the 56
bit whole key, and thus, saves space and reduces over all memory
requirements and processing time of the module.
[0230] The hash table, therefore, can be configured as an index
where known sequences of one or more reference genomes that have
been broken down into sequences of predetermined lengths, e.g.,
seeds, such as of 28 nucleotides in length, are organized into a
table randomly, and one or more sequenced reads, or "seed" portions
thereof, derived from the sequencing of a subject's genomic DNA or
RNA, may be passed through the hash table index, such as in
accordance with a hash function, so as to look up the seed in the
index, and one or more positions, e.g., locations in the reference
genome, may be obtained from the table where the sample seed
matches positions in the reference genome. Using a brute force
linear search to scan the reference genome for locations where a
seed matches, over 3 billion locations would have to be checked.
However, by using a hashing approach, each seed lookup can occur in
approximately a constant amount of time. Often, the location can be
ascertained in a single access. In cases where multiple seeds map
to the same location in the table, a few additional accesses may be
made to find the seed being currently looked up. Hence, even though
there can be 30M or more possible locations for a given 100
nucleotide length read to match up to, with respect to a reference
genome, the hash table and hash function can quickly determine
where that read is going to show up in the reference genome. By
using a hash table index, therefore, it is not necessary to search
the whole reference genome to determine where the read aligns.
[0231] As indicted above, chromosomes have a double helix structure
that is comprised of two opposed, complementary strands of nucleic
acid sequences that are bound together so as to form the double
helix. For instance, when the double helix structure is formed
these complementary base pairs bind one with the other in
accordance with the following formula: "A" binds to "T", and "G"
binds to "C". Accordingly, this results in two equal and opposite
strands of nucleic acid sequences that are the complement of each
other. More particularly, the bases of a nucleotide sequence of one
strand will be mirrored by their complementary bases on the opposed
strand resulting in two complementary strands. However,
transcription of DNA takes place in one direction only, starting
from one end of the DNA and moving towards the other. Hence, as it
turns out, for one strand of the DNA, transcription takes place in
one direction, and for its complement strand, transcription takes
place in the opposite direction. Consequently, the two strands of
DNA sequences turn out to be reverse complemented, that is if the
sequence order of one strand of the DNA is compared to the other
what can be seen is two strands where the nucleotide letters of one
strand are switched for their complement in the other strand, e.g.,
"As" for "Ts" and "Gs" for "Cs" and vice versa, and their order is
reversed.
[0232] Because of the double helix structure of the DNA, during the
sample prep step prior to sequencing the DNA, the chromosomes are
pulled apart, e.g., de natured, separated into separate strands,
and then lysed into smaller segments of a predetermined length,
e.g., of 100-300 bases long, which are then sequenced. It is
possible to separate the strands prior to sequencing so that only
one strand is sequenced, but typically the strands of DNA are not
separated and so both strands of DNA are sequenced. Accordingly, in
such an instance, about half of the reads in the FASTQ file may be
reverse complemented.
[0233] Of course, both strands of the reference genome, e.g., the
complement and the reverse complement, may be processed and hashed
as described above, however this would make the hash table twice as
big, and make the performance of the hash function take twice as
long, e.g., it could require about twice the amount of processing
to compare both complement and reverse complemented sequences of
the two genomic sequences. Accordingly, to save memory space,
reduce processing power, and/or decrease the time of processing, in
various instances, only one strand of the model genomic DNA need be
stored in the hash table as a reference.
[0234] However, because in accordance with typical sequencing
protocols, such as where the two strands of the subject DNA have
not been isolated from one another, any read generated from the
sequenced DNA can be from either strand, the complement or its
reverse complement, it may be difficult to determine which strand
is being processed, the complement of the reverse complement. More
specifically, in various instances, since only one strand of the
reference genome need be used to generate the hash table, half of
the reads generated by the sequencing protocol may not match the
particular strand, e.g., either the complement or its reverse
complement, of the model genome reference, e.g., because half the
time the read being processed is a reverse complement with respect
to the hashed segments of the reference genome. Hence, only the
reads generated from one strand of the DNA will match the indexed
sequences of the reference genome, while the reads generated from
the other strand will theoretically be their reverse complements
and will not match anywhere in the reference genome. Further, an
additional complication can be that for any given read that is
reverse complemented to the stored reference genome strand, the
read may still, erroneously, match to a portion of the reference
genome, such as by mere chance. In view of the above, in order for
mapping to proceed efficiently, in various instances, it not only
must be determined where the read matches in the reference genome
it must also be determined if the read is reverse complemented.
Therefore, the hash table and/or function module should be
constructed so as to be able to minimize these complications and/or
the types of errors that may result therefrom.
[0235] For instance, as indicated above, in one instance, the hash
table could be populated with both the complement and the reverse
complement for the reference genome so that every read or its
reverse complement of the subject's sequenced DNA can be matched to
its respective strand in the genomic reference DNA. In such an
instance, for any given seed in a read, the seed should
theoretically match with one strand or the other, the complement or
the reverse complement of the reference, assuming no errors or
variations. However, storing both strands of the reference genome
in the hash index can require about twice as much storage space
(e.g., instead of 32 gigabytes 64 gigabytes may be necessary), and
may require twice the amount of processing resources and/or twice
as much time for processing. Further, such a solution doesn't solve
the problem of palindromes that can match in both directions, e.g.,
the complement and reverse complement strands.
[0236] Accordingly, although the hash table index may be
constructed to include both strands of the genomic reference
sequence. In various instances, the hash table may be constructed
so as to only include one strand of the model genome as a
reference. This may be useful because storing the hash table in
memory will require half of the storage and/or processing resources
than would be required if both strands were to be stored and
processed, and thus, the time required for a look up should also
require less time. However, storing only one strand of the genome
as a reference could cause complications because, as indicated
above, where the sequenced subject DNA is double stranded, it is
not typically known from which strand any given read was generated.
In such an instance, therefore, the hash table should be
constructed to account for the fact the read being mapped may be
from either strand and thus can be the complement or reverse
complement of the stored segments of the reference genome.
[0237] Accordingly, in various instances, such as where only one
orientation of seeds from the reference are populated into the hash
table, when performing the hash function on the seeds generated
from the reads of the FASTQ file, the seed may first be looked up
in its present orientation, and/or may then be reverse complemented
and the reverse complement may be looked up. This may require two
looks up in the hash index, e.g., twice as many, but one of the
seed or its reverse complement should match its complementary
segment in the reference genome, assuming no errors or variations,
and it should reduce the overall processing resources, e.g., less
memory is used, as well as reducing time, e.g., not as many
sequences need to be compared.
[0238] More particularly, such as where a seed in one particular
orientation is comprised of 28 nucleotides, e.g., digitally
represented in a 56 bit binary format, as described above, the seed
can be reverse complemented and the reverse complement can also be
represented digitally in a 56 bit binary format. The binary format
for each representation of the seed sequence and its complement
results in a number, e.g., an integer, having a value represented
by that number. These two values, e.g., the two integers, may be
compared and the number with the higher or lower value, e.g.,
higher or lower absolute value, may be selected as the canonical
choice of orientation and that is the one that can be stored in the
hash table and/or subjected to the hash function. For instance, in
certain instances, the number with the higher value may be selected
for being processed by the hash function.
[0239] Another method that may be employed is to construct seeds
wherein each seed is comprised of an odd number of bases. The
canonical orientation to be selected then may be those strands
having a middle base being an "A" or a "G", but not a "T" or a "C",
or vice versa. The hash function then will be performed on the
seeds meeting the requirements of the canonical orientation. In
such a manner, it is only the two bits representing the middle base
that needs to be compared to see which has the higher value and it
is only the 2 bits of that sequence that are looked up. Hence, you
only have to look at the bits representing the middle two bases.
Typically, this can work well because if the seed is an odd length,
then it always reverse complements the center base. However,
although this may work for odd seed lengths, hashing those seeds
having a higher, or lower, value, as described above, should work
for all seed lengths, albeit such a method may require having to
process, e.g., look up, more bits of data.
[0240] These methods may be performed for any number of seeds,
e.g., all seeds of the reference and/or any number of seeds, e.g.,
all, derived from all or a portion of the reads of the FASTQ file.
Approximately half of the time the binary representation of the
seeds of a given orientation, e.g., the complement, will have a
higher value, and approximately half the time the binary
representation of the seeds of the opposite orientation, e.g., the
reverse complement, will have the higher value. But, when looking
at the binary numbers, whichever one has the higher value, that is
the one that gets fed into the hash table. For instance, the binary
integers for each read and its complement may be compared, and the
sequence having the first 1 encountered is the one of the two
strands selected to be stored as the strand in the hash table
and/or be subjected to the hash function. If both strands have a
first 1 in the same position, then the strand having the second 1
that comes first is selected, and so on. Of course, the read with
the lower value may also be selected, in which case the strand
having the first and/or larger number of initial 0's will be
selected. An indication, e.g., a flag, may also be inserted into
the hash table where the flag indicates which orientation,
complement or reverse complement, the stored and/or hashed strand
represents, e.g., a 1RC flag, if reverse complemented.
[0241] More particularly, when performing the hash function and
accessing the hash table, seeds from the genomic reference DNA and
seeds derived from the reads of the sequence data are subjected to
these same operations, such as converted into binary form and
compared with its reverse complement where the integers having the
higher, or lower, values are selected as the canonical orientations
and subjected to the hash function and fed into the hash table to
be looked up and matched against each other. However, because it is
the same operation being performed in substantially the same manner
on the reference sequences and the read sequences, the same record
will be derived, if the two sequences, the reference and the
subject seeds, have the same sequence to begin with, even if one
was reverse complemented, they will all be directed to the same
cell in the hash table.
[0242] Consequently, if a certain seed in the reference having a
given sequence in a particular orientation is converted to binary
form and hashed, and then a seed derived from a sample read having
the same sequence, but in its reverse orientation, e.g., reverse
complemented, and it is subjected to the above protocols, because
of the above disclosed methods, when the binary value is determined
and the hash function performed, the look up will be directed to
the very same address in the hash table as if the hash function
were performed on the complimentary seed to begin with. Hence, in
this manner it doesn't matter which orientation the seed being
processed is in because it will always be directed to the same
address.
[0243] Therefore, in a manner such as this, the methods herein
disclosed are able to hash and thereby determine the location of
the seed within the table despite its orientation, and because of
the flag in the record it will also be known if any given seeds is
reverse complemented. For instance, it will be known if the seed
was flipped from the reference and it will also be known if the
seed derived from the subject read had to be flipped as well.
Consequently, if the decision was the same on both sides then the
orientation is the same between the read and the reference.
However, if one side is flipped and the other is not, then it can
be concluded that the read maps reverse complemented to the
reference. Hence, by using a hash table it may be determined where
in the genome a given read, or portion thereof, e.g., a seed,
matches and/or if it is reverse complimented. Further, it is to be
understood that although the above is described with respect to
generating the hash table from the reference genome and performing
various ancillary hash function processes on the seeds generated
from the reads, e.g., from a FASTQ file, the system can also be
structured such that the hash table index is generated from seeds
derived from the reads of the subject's sequenced DNA, and the
various ancillary hash function processes, as herein described, are
performed on seeds generated from the reference genome.
[0244] As set forth above, an advantage of employing a hash table
and/or a hash function is that by employing the use of seeds, a
majority of the reads of the sequenced DNA can be matched to the
reference genome often by employing single hash lookups, and in
various instances, not all seeds derived from a read need be hashed
and/or looked up. Seeds may be of any suitable length, such as
relatively short, e.g., 16 nucleotides or less, such as about 20
nucleotides, such as about 24 nucleotides, such as about 28
nucleotides, such as about 30 or about 40 or about 50, or 75 or
about 100 nucleotides, or even up to 250 or 500, or 750, or even
999 or even about 1,000 nucleotides in length; or relatively long
such as over about 1,000 nucleotides or over about 10,000, or over
about 100,000 or over 1,000,000 or more nucleotides in length.
However, as described above, there are some disadvantages to using
seeds, such as in a hash table, in particular with respect to
selecting seeds of the appropriate length.
[0245] For instance, any suitable seed length may be employed in a
mapping function, however there are advantages and disadvantages of
using relatively short or relatively long seed lengths. For
example, the shorter the seed length the less likely it is to
incorporate an error or a variation that can prevent finding a
match within the hash table. However, the shorter the seed length,
the less unique it is, and the more matching is to be expected
between the seeds of the reference genome and the seeds derived
from the reads of the subject's sequenced DNA. Further, the shorter
the seed length the more lookups will have to be performed by the
hash function, taking more time and increased processing power.
[0246] On the other hand, the longer the seed length the more
unique it is and the less likely there is to be multiple matching
positions between the seeds between the seeds of the reference and
the query. Also, with a longer seed, there need be fewer seeds
within the read, so fewer look ups, thereby taking less time and
requiring less processing power. The longer the seed, however, the
more likely it is that the seeds derived from the sequenced DNA may
include an error, such as a sequencing error and/or may incorporate
a variation as compared to the reference thus preventing a match
from being made. Longer seeds further have the disadvantage of
being more likely to hit the end of the read and/or the end of the
chromosome. Hence, where a seed is only 20-100 nucleotides in
length, there may be several matches within the hash table,
however, where the seed is 1,000 or more nucleotides in length
there may be much fewer matches, but there may be no matches at
all.
[0247] There are some methods for helping to minimize these issues.
One method is to ensure there is appropriate oversampling generated
in the DNA processing steps prior to sequencing. For instance, as
it is known that there is typically at least one variation within
every 1,000 base pairs, the seed length may be chosen to maximize
matches, while at the same time minimizing non-matches due to the
incorporation of errors and/or variants. Additionally, the use of
oversampling, such as in the pre-sequencing and/or sequencing
steps, can be employed as a further method for minimizing various
problems that are inherent to using seeds, such as within a hash
function.
[0248] As indicated above, oversampling produces pileups. Pileups
are those collections of reads that map in an overlapping fashion
generally to the same place in the genome. For the majority of
sample reads, such pileups may not be necessary, such as where the
reads, and/or seeds generated therefrom, do not include a variant
and/or do not map to multiple positions in the hash table (e.g.,
are not exactly duplicated in the genome). However, for those reads
and/or seeds that may include a variant and/or an error and/or
other mismatch between the seed and/or read and the reference
genome, the production of pileups for any given region of the
genome may be useful. For instance, even though only one exact hit
between a seed generated from a read of the sample genome is
necessary so as to be able to map the sample read to the reference
genome, however, the fact that there may be a machine error or a
true variant in the sample DNA sequence that could prevent such an
exact match between the read and the reference from occurring,
often times makes the production of overlapping pileups in the
pre-sequencing and sequencing steps useful.
[0249] For example, for those instances where a sample seed does in
fact contain a variant or an error, the production of read pileups
may be useful in distinguishing between actual variance and machine
and/or chemistry errors. In such an instance, a pileup can be
employed to determine whether an apparent variation is in fact a
real variation. For instance, if 95% of the reads in the pileup
indicate that there is a "C" in a certain position, then odds are
that is the correct call, even if the reference genome has a "T" at
that location. In such an instance, the mismatch may be due to a
SNP, e.g., a substitution of a "C" for a "T" in that position in
the genome, where the genetic code for the individual actually
varies from that of the reference. In such an instance, the depth
of the pileup may be employed so as to compare the overlapping
portions of the reads of the pileup at a position where there is
variance, and based on the percentage of reads in the pileup having
the variance, it can be determined whether the variance is in fact
due to an actual variation in the sample sequence. Accordingly, the
actual sequence of the reads that best fits the genomic sequence,
may in part be determined based on what is reflected in the pileup
depths. The disadvantage of using pileups, however, is that it
requires more processing time to process all the excess reads
and/or seeds generated thereby.
[0250] Another method for minimizing the issues inherent in short
or long reads is to employ a secondary hash table along with or in
conjunction with the first, e.g., primary hash table. For instance,
a second hash table and/or hash function may be employed for those
seeds that do not have any hits in the primary hash table, or for
those seeds that have multiple hits in the primary hash table. For
example, when comparing one seed with another there are several
outcomes that may result. In one instance, a no hit, e.g., a no
match anywhere between the two sequences, may result, in which case
this suggests a possible error or variation such as in the seed of
a read of the subject as compared against a seed derived from the
reference genome. Or there may be one or a plurality of matches
found. If a large number of matches are found, however, this could
be problematic.
[0251] For instance, with respect to the primary hash table, if
each seed in the reference being hashed appears only a few times,
e.g., once, twice, or three times, etc. then there may not be a
need for a secondary hash table and/or hash function. However, if
one or more of the seeds occurs a greater number of times, e.g., 5,
10, 15, 20, 25, 50, 100, 1,000, or more times, this could be
problematic. For example, there are known regions in the sequence
of the human genome that have been determined to be mathematically
significant in that they are repeated a multiplicity of times.
Consequently, any seed mapping to one of these positions, may in
fact inadvertently map to a multiplicity of these positions, such
as where the seed comprises the nucleotides of the overlapping
sequences. In such an instance, determining which out of all the
possibilities the seed actually aligns to may be difficult.
However, as these repeating regions are known, and/or become known,
any seed that would typically map to one or more of these regions
may be demarcated to be allocated to a secondary hash table for
processing by the first or a secondary hash function, so as to not
waste time and processing power trying to use a primary hashing
function to determine something that is likely to be
indeterminable.
[0252] More particularly, when comparing the seeds of the genomic
reference to the seeds generated from the subject's genomic reads,
anywhere from 1 to hundreds or even thousands of match positions
may result. The present system, however, may be configured to
handle a certain number of duplicative matches, such as without the
need for further processing steps, such as where the number of
matches is below about 50, or below about 40, or below about 30,
such as below about 25 or about 20, such as below about 16 matches
or below about 10 or about 5 matches. However, if there are more
matches of viable hits than this that are returned, then the system
can be configured to implement a secondary hash function, e.g.,
using a secondary hash table.
[0253] Accordingly, rather than placing such seeds known to have an
increased likelihood of redundancy in the primary hash table, such
seeds can be placed in a secondary hash table, or a secondary
region in the first hash table. Additionally, in some instances, a
record that doesn't communicate anything about the multiplicity of
potential map positions for that seed, but rather communicates a
command to access a secondary hash table, e.g., an extend record,
can be placed in the primary hash table. For example, the extend
record can be an instruction, such as an instruction to extend the
primary, e.g. non unique or duplicative, seed length to a longer,
more unique seed length, such as by adding on one or more
additional bases next to it, e.g., on the end(s) of the seed, to
make it a longer seed sequence that can then get hashed and looked
up, such as in the secondary table.
[0254] The record can be configured such that it informs or
otherwise instructs how much to extend the known redundant seed by
a given amount, and may also instruct as to where and/or how to
extend the seed. For instance, because the hash table is usually
precomputed, e.g., originally constructed from the seeds generated
from the reference genome(s), it may be known prior to constructing
the table, which, if any, of the seeds generated from the reference
genome are going to occur a multiplicity of times. Hence, in
various instances, it may be predetermined which seeds are going to
need to be shifted over to the secondary hash table. For example,
when constructing the hash table index, the characteristics of the
reference seed sequences being input into the hash table as an
index are known, so for every potential seed it may be determined
whether it's a case that is going to give a multiplicity of hits,
e.g., from 10-10,000 hits.
[0255] More particularly, in various instances, an algorithm can be
performed to determine all the predicted matches a given seed
derived from the reference and/or the subject's reads may have. If
it is determined that for any particular seed that it is likely to
return a multiplicity of matches, a flag, e.g., a record, may be
generated, such as within a cell of the hash table, indicating that
this particular seed is a high frequency hit. In such an instance,
the record can further instruct that the primary hashing of this
seed, and such seeds like it, should be skipped over because it is
not practical to perform the number, e.g., 20-10,000 or more
evaluations on such a seed needed to accurately determine where the
seed actually maps. In such an instance, the primary hash function
may not be able to accurately determine which position out of all
the possible positions to where the seed may match, is the one to
where the read actually aligns, and thus for practical purposes,
because the seed cannot accurately be mapped at this stage, the
primary hash function may not be likely to return a useable result,
such as a result indicating accurately where the seed actually
matches in the genome.
[0256] In such an instance, the hash function algorithm may be
configured to calculate what would need to be done to make the
redundant seed more unique. For example, the secondary hash
function may determine by how many bases the seed needs to be
extended, and in what order, and in what location, so as to ensure
that the seed is no longer redundant, but rather suitably unique so
as to be hashed. Accordingly, the record may also include an
instruction to extend the redundant seed, e.g., extend by two, by
four, by six, etc., on one or both ends of the seed so as to
achieve a predetermined level of uniqueness. In such a manner as
this, seeds that at first appear to be identical can be determined
to be non-identical.
[0257] For example, in some instances, a typical record can
instruct that the duplicative seed be extended by up to X number of
odd or even bases, but in some instances, extended by an even
number of bases, such as from about 2 to 4 to about 8 to 16 to
about 32 or about 64 or more bases, such as equally on each side.
For instance, where the extension is to be by 64 bases, the record
could instruct that 32 bases be added on each side of the seed. The
number of bases by which the seed is to be extended is configurable
and may be any suitable number dependent on how the system is
constructed. In certain instances, the secondary hash function may
be employed to determine by how many bases the seed should be
extended so as to get a more reasonable number of match results
back. Therefore, the extension may be to the point of relative
uniqueness, such as to where there is only 1, 2, 3, or even up to
16 or 25 or 50 match positions where the pattern shows up. In
various instances, extending the seed equally from both ends may be
useful such as to avoid problems with reverse reads, but in various
instances the seed may be extended by the addition of one or more
bases unequally to both sides.
[0258] More particularly, such as in one example, if the seed
includes 28 bases, and an extend record, such as an extend record
positioned within a cell in the primary hash table, instructs the
hash function to extend the seed, such as by 64 bases, then the
record may further direct the hash function as to how to extend the
seed, such as by adding 32 bases on each side of the seed. However,
the extension can take place at any suitable position on the read
and may be done in a symmetrical or asymmetrical fashion. In
certain instances, the record may instruct the hash function to
extend the seed symmetrically because in certain instances such a
symmetrical extension may work better, such as with reverse
complements, discussed herein. In such an instance, the same number
of bases will be added such as to the opposite sides of the seed
when extending. Although in other instances extension may be
performed by adding an even or an odd number of bases in a
non-symmetrical format, and hence, it is not necessary to extend
the seed by same number of bases on each side. Typically, the
primary hash table is configured such that it is not completely
full. For example it is desirable to configure it not to exceed 80%
or 90% of its capacity. This is to maintain high performance of the
lookup rate. When there are a high number of collisions in hashing
seeds to the same location when constructing the table, the storing
mechanism will create a chain of references to other locations so
that the lookup mechanism will be able to find the one assigned to
the overflowed seed. The denser the table, the higher the number of
collisions and the longer the chains to be followed to find the
actual match.
[0259] In various instances, such as where the initial, redundant
seed is 28 bases long, and the record instructs for it to be
extended, such as from 18 to 32 to 64 bases, such as on each
opposed side of the seed, the digital representation of the seed
may be about 64 bases.times.2 bits per base=128 bits. Accordingly,
dependent on how the mapping module is set up, this may be too big
for the primary hash table to process. Hence, in certain instances,
to deal with the need for such extensive processing, in certain
embodiments, the secondary hashing module can be configured to
store the information associated with larger seeds. Since the
number of seeds requiring extension is a fraction of the total
number of seeds, the secondary hash table may be smaller than the
primary hash table. However, in other instances, such as to reduce
the processing requirements of the module, e.g., to save bits, the
known redundant portion of the sequence, e.g., the primary
sequence, may be replaced by a preselected variable such as of a
predetermined sequence length. In such an instance, since the
redundant sequence is already known and identified, it does not
need to be digitally represented in its entirety. Rather, in
various instances, all that is really needed to be done is to
substitute the known, redundant sequence with a known variable
sequence, and all that really needs to be looked up are the
extension portions, e.g., wings, that have been added to either
side of the variable sequence, since those are the only portions of
the initial sequence that are non-redundant and new. Hence, in
certain instances, the primary sequence may be replaced by a
shorter unique identifier code (such as a 24 bit proxy instead of
56 bit representation) and then the extension bases can be added to
the proxy, such as a 36 bit extension (e.g., totaling 60 bits) that
can then be put into the extend record in the primary table. In a
manner such as this, the disadvantages of having too short and/or
too long of reads can be minimized and the benefit of having only
one or a few look ups in the hash table can be maintained.
[0260] As indicated above, the implementation of the above
described hash function may be executed in software and/or
hardware. An advantage of implementing the hash module in hardware
is that the processes may be accelerated and therefore performed in
a much faster manner. For instance, where software may include
various instructions for performing one or more of these various
functions, the implementation of such instructions often requires
data and instructions to be stored and/or fetched and/or read
and/or interpreted, such as prior to execution. As indicated above,
however, and described in greater detail herein below, a chip can
be hardwired to perform these functions without having to fetch,
interpret, and/or perform one or more of a sequence of
instructions. Rather, the chip may be wired to perform such
functions directly. Accordingly, in various aspects, the disclosure
is directed to a custom hardwired machine that may be configured
such that portions or all of the above described hashing module may
be implemented by one or more network circuits, such as integrated
circuits hardwired on a chip, such as an FPGA, ASIC or Structured
ASIC.
[0261] For instance, in various instances, the hash table index may
be constructed and the hash function may be performed on a chip,
and in other instances, the hash table index may be generated off
of the chip, such as via software run by a host CPU, but once
generated it is loaded onto and employed by the chip, such as in
running the hash module. In certain instances, the chip may include
any suitable number of gigabytes, such as 8 gigabytes, such as 16
gigabytes, such as 32 gigabytes, such as 64 gigabytes, such as
about 128 gigabytes. In various instances, the chip may be
configurable such that the various processes of the hash module are
performed employing only a portion or all the memory resources. For
example, where a custom reference genome may be built, a large
portion of the memory may be dedicated to storing the hash
reference index and/or for storing reads and/or for reserving space
for other functional modules to use, such as where 16 gigabytes are
dedicated to storing the reads, 8 gigabytes may be dedicated to
storing the hash index and another 8 gigabytes may be dedicated to
other processing functions. In another example, where 32 gigabytes
are dedicated to storing reads, 26 gigabytes may be dedicated for
storing the primary hash table, 2.5 gigabytes may be dedicated for
storing the secondary table, and 1.5 gigabytes may be dedicated for
the reference genome.
[0262] In certain embodiments, the secondary hash table may be
constructed so as to have a digital presence that is larger than
the primary hash table. For instance, in various instances, the
primary hash table can be configured to store hash records of 8
bytes each with 8 records per hash bucket totaling 64 bytes per
bucket, and the secondary hash table can be configured to store 16
hash records totaling 128 bytes per bucket. For each hash record
containing overflow hash bits matching the same bits of the hash
key a possible matching position in the reference genome is
reported. For the primary hash table therefore, up to 8 positions
may be reported. For the secondary hash table up to 16 positions
may be reported.
[0263] Regardless of being implemented in hardware or software, in
many instances, it may be useful to structure the hash table to
avoid collisions. For instance, there may be multiple seeds that,
because of various system artifacts will want to be inserted into
the hash table at the same place regardless of whether there is a
match there or not. Such instances are termed collisions. Often
times, collisions can be avoided, in part, by the way the hash
table is structured. Accordingly, in various instances the hash
table may be structured so as to avoid collisions, and therefore
may be configured to include one or more virtual hash buckets.
[0264] In various instances, the hash table can be structured such
that it is represented in an 8 byte, 16 byte, 32 byte, 64 byte, 128
byte format, or the like. But in various exemplary embodiments it
may be useful to represent the hash table in a 64 byte format. This
may be useful, for instance, where the hash function is to make use
of accessing a memory, such as a DRAM, e.g., in a standard DIMM or
SODIMM form factor, such as where the minimum burst size is
typically 64 bytes. In such an instance, the design of the
processor for accessing a given memory will be such that the number
of bytes needed to form a bucket in the hash table is also 64, and
therefore a maximized efficiency may be realized. However, if the
table were to be structured in a 32 byte format, this would be
inefficient because about half the bytes delivered in a burst would
contain information not needed by the processor. That would cut the
effective byte delivery rate in half. Conversely, if the number of
bytes used to form a bucket in the hash table is a multiple of the
minimum burst size, e.g., 128, there is no performance penalty as
long as the processor actually needs all of the information
returned in a single access. Therefore, in instances where the
optimal burst size of the memory access is at a given size, e.g.,
64 bytes, the hash table can be structured so burst size of the
memory is optimally exploited, such as where the bytes allocated
for representing bins in the hash table and processed by the
mapping function, e.g., 64 bytes, are coincident with the burst
size of the memory. Consequently, where the memory bandwidth is a
constraint, the hash table can be structured so as to optimally
exploit such constraints.
[0265] Further, it is to be noted, that although a record may be
crammed into 8 bytes, the hash function can be constructed such
that it is not the case that 8 bytes from the table are read so as
to process one record, as this could be inefficient. Rather, all 8
records in a bucket can be read at once, or some sub-portion
thereof. This may be useful in optimizing the processing speed of
the system as, given the architecture described above, it would
cost the same time at the same speed to process all 8 records as it
would for simply processing 1 record. Accordingly, in certain
instances, the mapping module may include a hash table that itself
may include one or more subsections, e.g., virtual sections or
buckets, wherein each bucket may have 1 or more slots, such as 8
slots, such that one or more different records can be inserted
therein such as to manage collisions. However, in certain
circumstances, one or more of such buckets may fill up with
records, so a means may be provided for storing additional records
in other buckets and recording information in the original bucket
indicating that the hash table lookup mechanism needs to look
further to find a match.
[0266] Hence, in certain instances it may also be useful to employ
one or more additional methods such as for managing collisions, one
such method may include one or more of linear probing and/or hash
chaining. For instance, if it is not known what exactly is being
searched in the hash table or a portion thereof, such as in one
bucket of the hash table, and the particular bucket is full, then
the hash lookup function can be configured such that if one bucket
is full and is searched and the desired record not found, then the
function can be directed to step to the next bucket, e.g., the +1
bucket, and that bucket can then be checked. In such a manner, all
buckets can be searched when looking for a particular record. Such
searching, therefore, can be performed sequentially looking through
one bucket to another until what is being looked for is found or it
becomes clear that it is not going to be found, such as where an
empty slot in at least one of the buckets is found. Particularly,
where each bucket is filled sequentially, and each bucket is
searched according to the sequence of filling, if an empty slot is
found, such as when searching sequentially through buckets looking
for a particular record, then the empty slot could be indicative of
the record not existing, because if it did exist, it would at least
have been positioned in the empty slot, if not in the preceding
buckets.
[0267] More particularly, where 64 bytes are designated for storing
the information in a hash bucket wherein 8 records are contained,
upon receiving a fetched bucket, the mapping processor can operate
on all 8 records simultaneously to determine which are matches and
which are not. For instance, when performing a look up such as of a
seed from a read obtained from the sequenced sample DNA against a
seed generated from the reference genome, the digital
representation of the sample seed can be compared against the
reference seeds in all, e.g., 8, records so as to find a match. In
such an instance, several outcomes may result. A direct match may
be found. A sample seed may go into the hash table and, in some
instances, no match is found, e.g., because it is just not exactly
the same as any corresponding seed in the reference, such as
because there was a machine or sequencing error with respect to
that seed or the read from which it is generated, or because the
person has a genetic sequence that is different from the reference
genome. Or a the seed may go into the hash table and a plurality of
matches may be returned, such where the sample seed matches to 2,
3, 5, 10, 15, 20, or more places in the table. In such an instance,
multiple records may be returned all pointing to various different
locations in the reference genome where that particular seed
matches, the records for these matches may either be in the same
bucket, or a multiplicity of buckets may have to be probed to
return all of the significant, e.g., match, results.
[0268] In certain instances, such as where space may become a
limiting factor in the hash table, e.g., in the hash table buckets,
an additional mechanism for resolving collisions and/or for saving
space may implemented. For instance, when space becomes limited,
such as when more than 8 records need to be stored in a bucket, or
when for other instances it is desirable, a hash chaining function
may be performed. Hash chaining can involve, for example, replacing
a record containing a specific position location in the genomic
sequence with a record containing a chain pointer that instead of
pointing to a location in the genome points to some other address,
e.g., a second bucket in the current hash table e.g. a primary or a
secondary hash table. This has the advantage over the linear
probing method of enabling the hash lookup mechanism to directly
access the bucket containing the desired record rather than
checking buckets sequentially in order.
[0269] Such a process may be useful given the system architecture.
For instance, the primary seeds being hashed, such as in a primary
lookup, are positioned at a given location in the table, e.g.,
their original position, whereas the seeds being chained are being
put in a position that may be different from their original bucket.
Hence, as indicated above, a first portion of the digitally
represented seed, e.g., about 26 to about 29 bits, can be hashed
and may be looked up in a first step. And, in a second step, the
remaining about 27 to about 30 bits can be inserted into the hash
table, such as in a hash chain, as a means for confirming the first
pass. Accordingly, for any seed, its original address bits may be
hashed in a first step, and the secondary address bits may be used
in a second, confirmation step. Hence, the first portion of the
seeds can be inserted into primary record location, and the second
portion may be fit into the table in secondary record chain
location. And, as indicated above, in various instances, these two
different record locations may be positionally separated, such as
by a chain format record. Therefore, in any destination bucket of
chaining a chain format record may positionally separate the
entries/records that are for local primary first bucket accesses
and probing and those records that are for the chain.
[0270] Such hash chains can be continued for a multiplicity of
lengths. An advantage of such chaining is that where one or more of
the buckets include one or more, e.g., 2, 3, 4, 5, 6, or more empty
record slots, these empty slots can be used to store the hash chain
data. Accordingly, in certain instances, hash chaining may involve
starting with an empty slot in one bucket and chaining that slot to
another slot in another bucket, where the two buckets may be at
remote locations in the hash table. Additional care may be taken to
avoid confusion between records placed in a remote bucket as part
of a hash chain, and "native" records that hash directly into the
same bucket. As usual, the remaining about 27 to about 30 bits of
the secondary access key are checked against corresponding about 27
to 30 bits stored in the records placed remotely in the chained
bucket, but due to the distant placement of the chained bucket from
the original hash bucket, confirming these about 27 to 30 bits
would not be enough to guarantee that a matching hash record
corresponds to the original seed reaching this bucket by chaining,
as opposed to some other seed reaching the same bucket by direct
access. (e.g., confirming the about 27 to 30 bits may be a full
verification when the about 26 to 29 bits used for hash table
addressing are implicitly checked by proximity to the initial hash
bucket accessed.)
[0271] To prevent retrieving a wrong hash record without needing to
store entire hash keys in the records, a positional system may be
used in a chained bucket. Accordingly, a chained bucket must
contain a chain continuation format record, which contains a
further chain pointer to continue the bucket chain if required;
this chain continuation record must appear in a slot of the bucket
after all "native" records corresponding to direct hash access, and
before all remote records belonging to the chain. During queries,
before following any chain pointer, any records appearing after a
chain continuation record should be ignored, and after following
any chain pointer, any records appearing before a chain
continuation record should be ignored.
[0272] For example, where the buckets are about 75%-85% full, 8
buckets may be scanned and only 15-25 slots may be found that can
be used, whereas with hash chaining these slots may be found over 2
or 3 or 4 buckets. In such an instance, the number of probe or
chain steps required to store a hash record matters because it
influences the speed of the system. At run time, if probing is
necessary to find the record, a multiplicity of hash look up
accesses, e.g., a 64 byte bucket read, may need to be performed
which slows the system down. Hash chaining helps to minimize the
average number of accesses that have to be performed, because more
excess hash records can generally be populated per chained bucket,
which can be selected from a wide region, than per probing bucket,
which must be sequentially next. Therefore, a given number of
excess hash records can typically be populated into a shorter
sequence of chained buckets than the necessary sequence of probing
buckets, which likewise limits the number of accesses required to
locate those excess records in a query. Nevertheless, probing
remains valuable for smaller quantities of excess hash records,
because probing does not require a bucket slot to be sacrificed for
a chain pointer.
[0273] For example, after it has been determined where all the
possible matches are for the seeds against the reference genome, it
must be determined which out of all the possible locations a given
read may match to is in fact the correct position to which it
aligns. Hence, after mapping there may be a multiplicity of
positions that one or more reads appear to match in the reference
genome. Consequently, there may be a plurality of seeds that appear
to be indicating the exact same thing, e.g., they may match to the
exact same position on the reference, if you take into account the
position of the seed in the read.
[0274] The actual alignment, therefore, must be determined for each
given read. This determination may be made in several different
ways. In one instance, all the reads may be evaluated so as to
determine their correct alignment with respect to the reference
genome based on the positions indicated by every seed from the read
that returned position information during the hash lookup process.
However, in various instances, prior to performing an alignment, a
seed chain filtering function may be performed on one or more of
the seeds.
[0275] For instance, in certain instances, the seeds associated
with a given read that appear to map to the same general place as
against the reference genome may be aggregated into a single chain
that references the same region. All of the seeds associated with
one read may be grouped into one or more seed chains such that each
seed is a member of only one chain. It is such chain(s) that then
cause the read to be aligned to each indicated position in the
reference genome. Specifically, in various instances, all the seeds
that have the same supporting evidence indicating that they all
belong to the same general location(s) in the reference may be
gathered together to form one or more chains. The seeds that group
together, therefore, or at least appear as they are going to be
near one another in the reference genome, e.g., within a certain
band, will be grouped into a chain of seeds, and those that are
outside of this band will be made into a different chain of
seeds.
[0276] Once these various seeds have been aggregated into one or
more various seed chains, it may be determined which of the chains
actually represents the correct chain to be aligned. This may be
done, at least in part, by use of a filtering algorithm that is a
heuristic designed to eliminate weak seed chains which are highly
unlikely to be the correct one. Generally, longer seed chains, in
terms of length spanned within the read, are more likely to be
correct, and furthermore, seed chains with more contributing seeds
are more likely to be correct. In one example, a heuristic may be
applied wherein a relatively strong "superior" seed chain, e.g.
long or having many seeds, filters out a relatively weak "inferior"
seed chain, e.g. short or having few seeds.
[0277] In one variation, the length of an inferior chain determines
a threshold length, e.g. twice as long, such that a superior chain
of at least the threshold length can filter it out. In another
variation, the seed count of an inferior chain determines a
threshold seed count, e.g. five times as many seeds, such that a
superior chain of at least the threshold seed count can filter it
out. In another variation, the length of an inferior chain
determines a threshold seed count, e.g. two times the seed count
minus the seed length, such that a superior chain of at least the
threshold seed count can filter it out. In some variations, such as
when chimeric alignments of reads are desired, only superior seed
chains substantially overlapping inferior seed chains within the
read may filter them out.
[0278] This process weeds out those seeds that have a low
probability of having identified a region of the reference genome
where a high quality alignment of the read can be found. It,
therefore, may be useful because it reduces the number of
alignments that need to be performed for each read thereby
accelerating the processing speed and saving time. Accordingly,
this process may be employed, in part, as a tuning feature, whereby
when greater speed is desired, e.g., high speed mode, more detailed
seed chain filtering is performed, and where greater overall
accuracy is desired, e.g., enhanced accuracy mode, less seed chain
filtering is performed, e.g., all the seed chains are
evaluated.
[0279] In various embodiments, seed editing may be performed, such
as prior to a seed chain filtering step. For instance, for each
read, if all of the seeds of that read are subjected to a mapping
function and none of them returned a hit, then there may be a high
probability that there was one or more errors in the read, for
instance, an error that the sequencer made. In such an instance, an
editing function, such as a one-change editing process, e.g., an
SNP editing process, can be performed on each seed, such as where a
no match outcome was returned. For example, at position X, a one
change edit function may instruct that the designated nucleotide be
substituted for one of the other 3 nucleotides and it is determined
whether a hit, e.g., a match, is obtained by making that change,
e.g., a SNP substitution. This one-change editing may be performed
in the same manner on every position in the seed and/or on every
seed of the read, e.g., substituting each alternative base for each
position in the seed. Additionally, where one change is made in one
seed, the effects that change would have on every other overlapping
seed may be determined in view of that one change.
[0280] Such editing may also be performed for inserts, such as
where one of the four nucleotides is added at a given insert
position, X, and it is determined if a hit was obtained by making
the substitution. This may be done for all four nucleotides and/or
for all positions (X, X+1, X+2, X+3, etc.) in the seed and/or all
the seeds in the reads. Such editing may also be performed for
deletions, such as where one of the four nucleotides is deleted at
a given position, X, in the seed, and it is determined if a hit was
obtained by making the deletion. This may then be repeated for all
positions X+1, X+2, X+3, etc. Such editing, however, can result in
a lot of extra processing work and time, such as by requiring a
multiplicity of additional lookups, such as 2, or 3, or 4, or 5, or
10, or 50, or 100, or 200, etc. Nevertheless, such extra processing
and time may be useful if by such editing an actual hit can be
determined, e.g., a match made, where before there was no match. In
such an instance, it can then typically be determined that an error
was made and further that it was corrected, thereby salvaging the
read.
[0281] Additionally, a further heuristic may be employed so as to
determine whether an editing function should be performed or not,
whereby the algorithm performs a calculation to determine the
probability that a hit will be obtained if such editing were to be
performed. If a certain threshold probability is met, such as 85%
likelihood, then such seed chain editing may be performed. For
instance, the system can generate various statistics on the seed
chains, such as calculating how many high frequency hits are
present and/or how many seed chains contain high frequency hits,
and thereby determine if seed chain editing is likely to make a
difference in determining matches. For example, if it is determined
that there are a large proportion of high frequency hits, then, in
such an instance, seed chain editing may be skipped because it is
unlikely to make various of the sequences unique enough to give a
hit within a reasonable number of hash table look ups, such as 100
or fewer, 50 or fewer, 40 or fewer, 30 or fewer, 20 or fewer, or 10
or fewer. Such statistics can be reviewed and it may then be
determined whether to do seed editing or not. For instance, if the
statistics show that for any one read, if half the positions show
no match, and the others show high frequency matches, then it is
probably worth doing seed editing, because where no matches are
returned, there is probably an error, but if a lot of high
frequency matches are returned it may simply not be worth
performing seed editing.
[0282] The outcome from performing one or more of these mapping,
filtering, and/or editing functions is a list of reads which
includes for each read a list of all the possible locations to
where the read may matchup with the reference genome. Hence, a
mapping function may be performed so as to quickly determine where
the reads of the FASTQ file obtained from the sequencer map to the
reference genome, e.g., to where in the whole genome the various
reads map. However, if there is an error in any of the reads or a
genetic variation, you may not get an exact match to the reference
and/or there may be several places one or more reads appear to
match. It, therefore, must be determined where the various reads
actually align with respect to the genome as a whole.
[0283] Accordingly, after mapping and/or filtering and/or editing,
the location positions for a large number of reads have been
determined, where for some of the individual reads a multiplicity
of location positions have been determined, and it now needs to be
determined which out of all the possible locations is in fact the
true or most likely location to which the various reads align. Such
aligning may be performed by one or more algorithms, such as a
dynamic programming algorithm that matches the mapped reads to the
reference genome and runs an alignment function thereon.
[0284] An exemplary aligning function compares one or more, e.g.,
all of the reads, to the reference, such as by placing them in a
graphical relation to one another, e.g., such as in a table, e.g.,
a virtual array or matrix, where the sequence of one of the
reference genome or the mapped reads is placed on one dimension or
axis, e.g., the horizontal axis, and the other is placed on the
opposed dimensions or axis, such as the vertical axis. A conceptual
scoring wave front is then passed over the array so as to determine
the alignment of the reads with the reference genome, such as by
computing alignment scores for each cell in the matrix.
[0285] The scoring wave front represents one or more, e.g., all,
the cells of the matrix, or a portion of those cells, which may be
scored independently and/or simultaneously according to the rules
of dynamic programming applicable in the alignment algorithm, such
as Smith-Waterman, and/or Needleman-Wunsch, and/or related
algorithms. For example, taking the origin of the matrix
(corresponding to the beginning of the read and/or the beginning of
a reference window of the conceptual scoring wave front) to be at
the top-left corner, first only the top-left cell at coordinates
(0,0) of the matrix may be scored, e.g., a 1-cell wave front; next,
the two cells to the right and below at coordinates (0,1) and (1,0)
may be scored, e.g., a 2-cell wave front; next the three cells at
(0,2), (1,1), and (2,0) may be scored, e.g., a 3-cell wave front.
These exemplary wave fronts may then extend diagonally in straight
lines from bottom-left to top-right, and the motion of the wave
front from step to step is diagonally from top-left to bottom-right
through the matrix. Alignment scores may be computed sequentially
or in other orders, such as by computing all the scores in the top
row from left to right, followed by all the scores in the next row
from left to right, etc. In this manner the diagonally sweeping
diagonal wave front represents an optimal sequence of batches of
scores computed simultaneously or in parallel in a series of wave
front steps.
[0286] For instance, in one embodiment, a window of the reference
genome containing the segment to which a read was mapped is placed
on the horizontal axis, and the read is positioned on the vertical
axis. In a manner such as this an array or matrix is generated,
e.g., a virtual matrix, whereby the nucleotide at each position in
the read may be compared with the nucleotide at each position in
the reference window. As the wave front passes over the array, all
potential ways of aligning the read to the reference window are
considered, including if changes to one sequence would be required
to make the read match the reference sequence, such as by changing
one or more nucleotides of the read to other nucleotides, or
inserting one or more new nucleotides into one sequence, or
deleting one or more nucleotides from one sequence.
[0287] An alignment score, representing the extent of the changes
that would be required to be made to achieve an exact alignment, is
generated, wherein this score and/or other associated data may be
stored in the given cells of the array. Each cell of the array
corresponds to the possibility that the nucleotide at its position
on the read axis aligns to the nucleotide at its position on the
reference axis, and the score generated for each cell represents
the partial alignment terminating with the cell's positions in the
read and the reference window. The highest score generated in any
cell represents the best overall alignment of the read to the
reference window. In various instances, the alignment may be
global, where the entire read must be aligned to some portion of
the reference window, such as using a Needleman-Wunsch or similar
algorithm; or in other instances, the alignment may be local, where
only a portion of the read may be aligned to a portion of the
reference window, such as by using a Smith-Waterman or similar
algorithm.
[0288] The size of the reference window may be any suitable size.
For instance, since a typical read may be from about 100 to about
1,000 nucleotides long, the length of the reference window
accordingly, in some instances, may be from about 100 to 1,000
nucleotides long or longer. However, in some instances, the length
of the reads may be greater, and/or the length of the reference
window can be greater such as about 10,000, 25,000, 50,000, 75,000,
100,000, 200,000 nucleotides long or more. It may be advantageous
for the reference window to be padded somewhat longer than the
read, such as including 32 or 64 or 128 or 200 or even 500 extra
nucleotides in the reference window beyond the extremes of the
reference genome segment to which the read was mapped, such as to
permit insertions and/or deletions near the ends of the read to be
fully evaluated. For instance, if only a portion of the read was
mapped to a segment of the reference, extra padding may be applied
to the reference window corresponding to the unmapped portions of
the read, or longer by some factor, such as 10% or 15% or 20% or
25% or even 50% or more, so as to allow the unmapped portions of
the read space to fully align to the reference window. In some
instances, however, the length of the reference window may be
selected to be shorter than the length of the reads, such as where
a long portion of the read is not mapped to the reference, such as
more or less than 1000 nucleotides at one end of the read, such as
in order to focus the alignment on the mapped portion.
[0289] The alignment wave front may be of unlimited length, or
limited to any suitable fixed length, or of variable length. For
instance, all cells along the entire diagonal line of each wave
front step extending fully from one axis to the other axis may be
scored. Alternatively, a limited length, such as 64 cells wide, may
be scored on each wave front step, such as by tracing a diagonally
64-cell wide band of scored cells through the matrix, and leaving
cells outside of this band unscored. In some instances, it may be
unnecessary to calculate scores far from a band around the true
alignment path, and substantial work may be saved by computing
scores only in a limited bandwidth, using a fixed length scoring
wave front, as herein described.
[0290] Accordingly, in various instances, an alignment function may
be performed, such as on the data obtained from the mapping module.
Hence, in various instances, an alignment function may form a
module, such as an alignment module, that may form part of a
system, e.g., a pipeline, that is used, such as in addition with a
mapping module, in a process for determining the actual entire
genomic sequence, or a portion thereof, of an individual. For
instance, the output returned from the performance of the mapping
function, such as from a mapping module, e.g., the list of
possibilities as to where one or more or all of the reads maps to
one or more positions in one or more reference genomes, may be
employed by the alignment function so as to determine the actual
sequence alignment of the subject's sequenced DNA.
[0291] Such an alignment function may at times be useful because,
as described above, often times, for a variety of different
reasons, the sequenced reads do not always match exactly to the
reference genome. For instance, there may be an SNP (single
nucleotide polymorphism) in one or more of the reads, e.g., a
substitution of one nucleotide for another at a single position;
there may be an "indel," insertion or deletion of one or more bases
along one or more of the read sequences, which insertion or
deletion is not present in the reference genome; and/or there may
be a sequencing error (e.g., errors in sample prep and/or sequencer
read and/or sequencer output, etc.) causing one or more of these
apparent variations. Accordingly, when a read varies from the
reference, such as by an SNP or indel, this may be because the
reference differs from the true DNA sequence sampled, or because
the read differs from the true DNA sequence sampled. The problem is
to figure out how to correctly align the reads to the reference
genome given the fact that in all likelihood the two sequences are
going to vary from one another in a multiplicity of different
ways.
[0292] Accordingly, in various instances, the input into an
alignment function, such as from a mapping function, such as a
prefix/suffix tree, or a Burrows/Wheeler transform, or a hash table
and/or hash function, may be a list of possibilities as to where
one or more reads may match to one or more positions of one or more
reference sequences. For instance, for any given read, it may match
any number of positions in the reference genome, such as at 1
location or 16, or 32, or 64, or 100, or 500, or 1,000 or more
locations where a given read maps to in the genome. However, any
individual read was derived, e.g., sequenced, from only one
specific portion of the genome. Hence, in order to find the true
location from where a given particular read was derived, an
alignment function may be performed, e.g., a Smith-Waterman gapped
alignment, a Needleman-Wunsch alignment, etc., so as to determine
where in the genome one or more of the reads was actually derived,
such as by comparing all of the possible locations where a match
occurs and determining which of all the possibilities is the most
likely location in the genome from which the read was sequenced, on
the basis of which location's alignment score is greatest.
[0293] As indicated, typically, an algorithm is used to perform
such an alignment function. For example, a Smith-Waterman and/or a
Needleman-Wunsch alignment algorithm may be employed to align two
or more sequences against one another. In this instance, they may
be employed in a manner so as to determine the probabilities that
for any given position where the read maps to the reference genome
that the mapping is in fact the position from where the read
originated. Typically these algorithms are configured so as to be
performed by software, however, in various instances, such as
herein presented, one or more of these algorithms can be configured
so as to be executed in hardware, as described in greater detail
herein below.
[0294] In particular, the alignment function operates, at least in
part, to align one or more, e.g., all, of the reads to the
reference genome despite the presence of one or more portions of
mismatches, e.g., SNPs, insertions, deletions, structural
artifacts, etc. so as to determine where the reads are likely to
fit in the genome correctly. For instance, the one or more reads
are compared against the reference genome, and the best possible
fit for the read against the genome is determined, while accounting
for substitutions and/or indels and/or structural variants.
However, to better determine which of the modified versions of the
read best fits against the reference genome, the proposed changes
must be accounted for, and as such a scoring function may also be
performed.
[0295] For instance, a scoring function may be performed, e.g., as
part of an overall alignment function, whereby as the alignment
module performs its function and introduces one or more changes
into a sequence being compared to another, e.g., so as to achieve a
better or best fit between the two, for each change that is made so
as to achieve the better alignment, a number is detracted from a
starting score, e.g., either a perfect score, or a zero starting
score, in a manner such that as the alignment is performed the
score for the alignment is also determined, such as where matches
are detected the score is increased, and for each change introduced
a penalty is incurred, and thus, the best fit for the possible
alignments can be determined, for example, by figuring out which of
all the possible modified reads fits to the genome with the highest
score. Accordingly, in various instances, the alignment function
may be configured to determine the best combination of changes that
need to be made to the read(s) to achieve the highest scoring
alignment, which alignment may then be determined to be the correct
or most likely alignment.
[0296] In view of the above, there are, therefore, at least two
goals that may be achieved from performing an alignment function.
One is a report of the best alignment, including position in the
reference genome and a description of what changes are necessary to
make the read match the reference segment at that position, and the
other is the alignment quality score. For instance, in various
instances, the output from a the alignment module may be a Compact
Idiosyncratic Gapped Alignment Report, e.g., a CIGAR string,
wherein the CIGAR string output is a report detailing all the
changes that were made to the reads so as to achieve their best fit
alignment, e.g., detailed alignment instructions indicating how the
query actually aligns with the reference. Such a CIGAR string
readout may be useful in further stages of processing so as to
better determine that for the given subject's genomic nucleotide
sequence, the predicted variations as compared against a reference
genome are in fact true variations, and not just due to machine,
software, or human error.
[0297] As set forth above, in various embodiments, alignment is
typically performed in a sequential manner, wherein the algorithm
receives read sequence data, such as from a mapping module,
pertaining to a read and one or more possible locations where the
read may potentially map to the one or more reference genomes, and
further receives genomic sequence data, such as from one or more
memories, pertaining to the one or more positions in the one or
more reference genomes to which the read may map. In particular, in
various embodiments, the mapping module processes the reads, such
as from a FASTQ file, and maps each of them to one or more
positions in the reference genome to where they may possibly align.
The aligner then takes these predicted positions and uses them to
align the reads to the reference genome, such as by building a
virtual array by which the reads can be compared with the reference
genome.
[0298] In performing this function the aligner evaluates each
mapped position for each individual read and particularly evaluates
those reads that map to multiple possible locations in the
reference genome and scores the possibility that each position is
the correct position. It then compares the best scores, e.g., the
two best scores, and makes a decision as to where the particular
read actually aligns. For instance, in comparing the first and
second best alignment scores, the aligner looks at the difference
between the scores, and if the difference between them is great,
then the confidence score that the one with the bigger score is
correct will be high. However, where the difference between them is
small, e.g., zero, then the confidence score in being able to tell
from which of the two positions the read actually is derived is
low, and more processing may be useful in being able to clearly
determine the true location in the reference genome from where the
read is derived. Hence, the aligner in part is looking for the
biggest difference between the first and second best confidence
scores in making its call that a given read maps to a given
location in the reference genome. Ideally, the score of the best
possible choice of alignment is significantly greater than the
score for the second best alignment for that sequence.
[0299] There are many different ways an alignment scoring
methodology may be implemented, for instance, each cell of the
array may be scored or a sub-portion of cells may be scored, such
as in accordance with the methods disclosed herein. Typically, each
alignment match, corresponding to a diagonal step in the alignment
matrix, contributes a positive score, such as +1, if the
corresponding read and reference nucleotides match; and a negative
score, such as -4, if the two nucleotides mismatch. Further, each
deletion from the reference, corresponding to a horizontal step in
the alignment matrix, contributes a negative score, such as -7, and
each insertion into the reference, corresponding to a vertical step
in the alignment matrix, contributes a negative score, such as
-7.
[0300] In various instances, scoring parameters for nucleotide
matches, nucleotide mismatches, insertions, and deletions may have
any various positive or negative or zero values. In various
instances, these scoring parameters may be modified based on
available information. For instance, in certain instances,
alignment gaps (insertions or deletions) are penalized by an affine
function of the gap length, for example -7 for the first deleted
(resp. inserted) nucleotide, but only -1 for each additional
deleted (resp. inserted) nucleotide in continuous sequence. In
various implementations, affine gap penalties may be achieved by
splitting gap (insertion or deletion) penalties into two
components, such as a gap open penalty, e.g. -6, applied to the
first step in a gap; and a gap extend penalty, e.g. -1, applied to
every or further steps in the gap. Affine gap penalties may yield
more accurate alignments, such as by letting alignments containing
long insertions or deletions achieve appropriately high scores.
Further, each lateral move may have the same or different costs,
such as the same cost per step, and/or where gaps occur, such gaps
can come at a higher or lower costs, such that the cost for lateral
movements of the aligner may be less expensive than the costs for
gaps. Accordingly, in various embodiments, affine gap scoring may
be implemented, however, this can be expensive in software and/or
hardware, because it typically requires a plurality, e.g., 3
scores, for each cell to be scored, and hence, in various
embodiments affine gap scoring is not implemented.
[0301] In various instances, scoring parameters may also be
sensitive to "base quality scores" corresponding to nucleotides in
the read. Some sequenced DNA read data, in formats such as FASTQ,
may include a base quality score associated with each nucleotide,
indicating an estimated probability that the nucleotide is
incorrect, e.g. due to a sequencing error. In some read data, base
quality scores may indicate the likelihood that an insertion and/or
deletion sequencing error is present in or adjacent to each
position, or additional quality scores may provide this information
separately. More accurate alignments, therefore, may be achieved by
making scoring parameters, including any or all of nucleotide match
scores, nucleotide mismatch scores, gap (insertion and/or deletion)
penalties, gap open penalties, and/or gap extend penalties, vary
according to a base quality score associated with the current read
nucleotide or position. For example, score bonuses and/or penalties
could be made smaller when a base quality score indicates a high
probability a sequencing or other error being present. Base quality
sensitive scoring may be implemented, for example, using a fixed or
configurable lookup-table, accessed using a base quality score,
which returns corresponding scoring parameters.
[0302] In a hardware implementation in an integrated circuit, such
as an FPGA, ASIC or Structured ASIC, a scoring wave front may be
implemented as a linear array of scoring cells, such as 16 cells,
or 32 cells, or 64 cells, or 128 cells or the like. Each of the
scoring cells may be built of digital logic elements in a wired
configuration to compute alignment scores. Hence, for each step of
the wave front, for instance, each clock cycle, or some other fixed
or variable unit of time, each of the scoring cells, or a portion
of the cells, computes the score or scores required for a new cell
in the virtual alignment matrix. Notionally, the various scoring
cells are considered to be in various positions in the alignment
matrix, corresponding to a scoring wave front as discussed herein,
e.g., along a straight line extending from bottom-left to top-right
in the matrix. As is well understood in the field of digital logic
design, the physical scoring cells and their comprised digital
logic need not be physically arranged in like manner on the
integrated circuit.
[0303] Accordingly, as the wave front takes steps to sweep through
the virtual alignment matrix, the notional positions of the scoring
cells correspondingly update each cell, for example, notionally
"moving" a step to the right, or for example, a step downward in
the alignment matrix. All scoring cells make the same relative
notional movement, keeping the diagonal wave front arrangement
intact. Each time the wave front moves to a new position, e.g.,
with a vertical downward step, or a horizontal rightward step in
the matrix, the scoring cells arrive in new notional positions, and
compute alignment scores for the virtual alignment matrix cells
they have entered.
[0304] In such an implementation, neighboring scoring cells in the
linear array are coupled to communicate query (read) nucleotides,
reference nucleotides, and previously calculated alignment scores.
The nucleotides of the reference window may be fed sequentially
into one end of the wave front, e.g., the top-right scoring cell in
the linear array, and may shift from there sequentially down the
length of the wave front, so that at any given time, a segment of
reference nucleotides equal in length to the number of scoring
cells is present within the cells, one successive nucleotide in
each successive scoring cell.
[0305] Accordingly, each time the wave front steps horizontally,
another reference nucleotide is fed into the top-right cell, and
other reference nucleotides shift down-left through the wave front.
This shifting of reference nucleotides may be the underlying
reality of the notional movement of the wave front of scoring cells
rightward through the alignment matrix. Hence, the nucleotides of
the read may be fed sequentially into the opposite end of the wave
front, e.g. the bottom-left scoring cell in the linear array, and
shift from there sequentially up the length of the wave front, so
that at any given time, a segment of query nucleotides equal in
length to the number of scoring cells is present within the cells,
one successive nucleotide in each successive scoring cell.
[0306] Likewise, each time the wave front steps vertically, another
query nucleotide is fed into the bottom-left cell, and other query
nucleotides shift up-right through the wave front. This shifting of
query nucleotides is the underlying reality of the notional
movement of the wave front of scoring cells downward through the
alignment matrix. Accordingly, by commanding a shift of reference
nucleotides, the wave front may be moved a step horizontally, and
by commanding a shift of query nucleotides, the wave front may be
moved a step vertically. Accordingly, to produce generally diagonal
wave front movement, such as to follow a typical alignment of query
and reference sequences without insertions or deletions, wave front
steps may be commanded in alternating vertical and horizontal
directions.
[0307] Accordingly, neighboring scoring cells in the linear array
may be coupled to communicate previously calculated alignment
scores. In various alignment scoring algorithms, such as a
Smith-Waterman or Needleman-Wunsch, or such variant, the alignment
score(s) in each cell of the virtual alignment matrix may be
calculated using previously calculated scores in other cells of the
matrix, such as the three cells positioned immediately to the left
of the current cell, above the current cell, and diagonally up-left
of the current cell. When a scoring cell calculates new score(s)
for another matrix position it has entered, it must retrieve such
previously calculated scores corresponding to such other matrix
positions. These previously calculated scores may be obtained from
storage of previously calculated scores within the same cell,
and/or from storage of previously calculated scores in the one or
two neighboring scoring cells in the linear array. This is because
the three contributing score positions in the virtual alignment
matrix (immediately left, above, and diagonally up-left) would have
been scored either by the current scoring cell, or by one of its
neighboring scoring cells in the linear array.
[0308] For instance, the cell immediately to the left in the matrix
would have been scored by the current scoring cell, if the most
recent wave front step was horizontal (rightward), or would have
been scored by the neighboring cell down-left in the linear array,
if the most recent wave front step was vertical (downward).
Similarly, the cell immediately above in the matrix would have been
scored by the current scoring cell, if the most recent wave front
step was vertical (downward), or would have been scored by the
neighboring cell up-right in the linear array, if the most recent
wave front step was horizontal (rightward). Similarly, the cell
diagonally up-left in the matrix would have been scored by the
current scoring cell, if the most recent two wave front steps were
in different directions, e.g., down then right, or right then down,
or would have been scored by the neighboring cell up-right in the
linear array, if the most recent two wave front steps were both
horizontal (rightward), or would have been scored by the
neighboring cell down-left in the linear array, if the most recent
two wave front steps were both vertical (downward).
[0309] Accordingly, by considering information on the last one or
two wave front step directions, a scoring cell may select the
appropriate previously calculated scores, accessing them within
itself, and/or within neighboring scoring cells, utilizing the
coupling between neighboring cells. In a variation, scoring cells
at the two ends of the wave front may have their outward score
inputs hard-wired to invalid, or zero, or minimum-value scores, so
that they will not affect new score calculations in these extreme
cells.
[0310] A wave front being thus implemented in a linear array of
scoring cells, with such coupling for shifting reference and query
nucleotides through the array in opposing directions, in order to
notionally move the wave front in vertical and horizontal steps,
and coupling for accessing scores previously computed by
neighboring cells in order to compute alignment score(s) in new
virtual matrix cell positions entered by the wave front, it is
accordingly possible to score a band of cells in the virtual
matrix, the width of the wave front, such as by commanding
successive steps of the wave front to sweep it through the matrix.
For a new read and reference window to be aligned, therefore, the
wave front may begin positioned inside the scoring matrix, or,
advantageously, may gradually enter the scoring matrix from
outside, beginning e.g., to the left, or above, or diagonally left
and above the top-left corner of the matrix.
[0311] For instance, the wave front may begin with its top-left
scoring cell positioned just left of the top-left cell of the
virtual matrix, and the wave front may then sweep rightward into
the matrix by a series of horizontal steps, scoring a horizontal
band of cells in the top-left region of the matrix. When the wave
front reaches a predicted alignment relationship between the
reference and query, or when matching is detected from increasing
alignment scores, the wave front may begin to sweep diagonally
down-right, by alternating vertical and horizontal steps, scoring a
diagonal band of cells through the middle of the matrix. When the
bottom-left wave front scoring cell reaches the bottom of the
alignment matrix, the wave front may begin sweeping rightward again
by successive horizontal steps, until some or all wave front cells
sweep out of the boundaries of the alignment matrix, scoring a
horizontal band of cells in the bottom-right region of the
matrix.
[0312] In a variation, increased efficiency may be obtained from
the alignment wave front by sharing its scoring cells between two
successive alignment operations. A next alignment matrix having
been established in advance, as the top-right portion of the wave
front exits the bottom-right region of the current alignment
matrix, it may enter, immediately, or after crossing a minimum gap
such as one cell or three cells, the top-right region of the next
alignment matrix. In this manner, the horizontal wave front sweep
out of one alignment matrix can be the same motion as the
horizontal wave front sweep into the next alignment matrix. Doing
this may include the reference and query bases of the next
alignment to be fed into those scoring cells crossing into the next
alignment matrix, and can reduce the average time consumed per
alignment by the time to execute a number of wave front steps
almost equal to the number of alignment cells in the wave front,
e.g., such as 64 or 63 or 61 steps, which may take e.g. 64 or 63 or
61 clock cycles.
[0313] The number of scoring cells in an implementation of an
alignment wave front may be selected to balance various factors,
including alignment accuracy, maximum insertion and deletion
length, area, cost, and power consumption of the digital logic,
clock frequency of the aligner logic, and performance of the
overall integrated circuit. A long wave front is desirable for good
alignment accuracy, especially because a wave front of N cells can
align across indels approximately N nucleotides long, or slightly
shorter. But a longer wave front costs more logic, which consumes
more power. Further, a longer wave front can increase wire routing
complexity and delays on the integrated circuit, leading to lower
maximum clock frequencies, reducing net aligner performance.
Further still, if an integrated circuit has a limited size or power
consumption, using a longer wave front may require less logic to be
implemented on the IC elsewhere, such as replicating fewer entire
wave fronts, or other aligner or mapper logic components, this
decreasing net performance of the IC. In one particular embodiment,
64 scoring cells in the wave front may give an acceptable balance
of these factors.
[0314] Accordingly, where the wave front is X, e.g., 64 scoring
cells wide, the scored band in the alignment matrix will likewise
be 64 cells wide (measured diagonally). The matrix cells outside of
this band do not necessarily need to be processed nor their scores
calculated, provided that the optimal (best-scoring) alignment path
through the matrix stays within the scored band. In a relatively
small matrix, therefore, used to align relatively short reads,
e.g., 100 nucleotide or 250 nucleotide reads, this may be a safe
assumption, such as if the wave front sweeps a perfect diagonal
along the predicted aligned position of the read.
[0315] However, in some instances, such as in a large alignment
matrix used to align long reads, e.g., 1000 or 10,000 or 100,000
nucleotides, there may be a substantial risk of accumulated indels
causing the true alignment to deviate from a perfect diagonal,
sufficiently far in aggregate that it may escape the scored band.
In such instances, it may be useful to steer the wave front so that
the highest set of scores will be near the center of the wave
front. Consequently, as the wave front performs its sweep, if the
highest scores start to move one way or the other, e.g., left to
right, the wave front is shifted over to track this move. For
instance, if the highest scores are observed in scoring cells
substantially up-right from the center of the wave front, the wave
front may be steered some distance straight rightward by successive
horizontal steps, until the highest scores return near the center
of the wave front.
[0316] Accordingly, an automatic steering mechanism may be
implemented in the wave front control logic, to determine a
steering target position within the length of the wave front, based
on current and past scores observed in the wave front scoring
cells, and to steer the wave front toward this target if it is
off-center. More particularly, the position of the maximum score in
the most recently scored wave front position may be used as a
steering target. This is an effective method in some instances. In
some instances, however, the maximum score position may be a poor
steering target. For instance, with some combinations of alignment
scoring parameters, when a long indel commences, and scores
accordingly begin to decline, a pattern of two higher-score peaks
with a lower-score valley between them can form along the wave
front, the two peaks drifting apart as the indel continues.
[0317] Because it cannot be easily determined whether the event in
progress is an insertion or a deletion, it is important for the
wave front to track diagonally until successful matching commences
again, either some distance to the right for a deletion, or some
distance downward for an insertion. But if two spreading score
peaks form, one of them is likely to be slightly higher than the
other, and could pull the automatic steering in that direction,
causing the wave front to lose the alignment if the actual indel
was in the other direction. A more robust method, therefore, may be
to subtract a delta value from the maximum observed wave front
score to determine a threshold score, identify the two extreme
scoring cells at least equal to this threshold score, and use the
midpoint between these extreme cells as the steering target. This
will tend to guide diagonally between a two-peak score pattern.
Other steering criteria can readily be applied, however, which
serve to keep higher scores near the center of the wave front. If
there is a delayed reaction between obtaining scores from wave
front scoring cells and making a corresponding steering decision,
hysteresis can advantageously be applied to compensate for steering
decisions made in the intervening time, to avoid oscillating
patterns of automatic wave front steering.
[0318] One or more of such alignment procedures may be performed by
any suitable alignment algorithm, such as a Needleman-Wunsch
alignment algorithm and/or a Smith-Waterman alignment algorithm
that may have been modified to accommodate the functionality herein
described. In general both of these algorithms and those like them
basically perform, in some instances, in a similar manner. For
instance, as set forth above, these alignment algorithms typically
build the virtual array in a similar manner such that, in various
instances, the horizontal top boundary may be configured to
represent the genomic reference sequence, which may be laid out
across the top row of the array according to its base pair
composition. Likewise, the vertical boundary may be configured to
represent the sequenced and mapped query sequences that have been
positioned in order, downwards along the first column, such that
their nucleotide sequence order is generally matched to the
nucleotide sequence of the reference to which they mapped. The
intervening cells may then be populated with scores as to the
probability that the relevant base of the query at a given
position, is positioned at that location relative to the reference.
In performing this function, a swath may be moved diagonally across
the matrix populating scores within the intervening cells and the
probability for each base of the query being in the indicated
position may be determined.
[0319] With respect to a Needleman-Wunsch alignment function, which
generates optimal global (or semi-global) alignments, aligning the
entire read sequence to some segment of the reference genome, the
wave front steering may be configured such that it typically sweeps
all the way from the top edge of the alignment matrix to the bottom
edge. When the wave front sweep is complete, the maximum score on
the bottom edge of the alignment matrix (corresponding to the end
of the read) is selected, and the alignment is back-traced to a
cell on the top edge of the matrix (corresponding to the beginning
of the read). In various of the instances disclosed herein, the
reads can be any length long, can be any size, and there need not
be extensive read parameters as to how the alignment is performed,
e.g., in various instances, the read can be as long as a
chromosome. In such an instance, however, the memory size and
chromosome length may be limiting factor.
[0320] With respect to a Smith-Waterman algorithm, which generates
optimal local alignments, aligning the entire read sequence or part
of the read sequence to some segment of the reference genome, this
algorithm may be configured for finding the best scoring possible
based on a full or partial alignment of the read. Hence, in various
instances, the wave front-scored band may not extend to the top
and/or bottom edges of the alignment matrix, such as if a very long
read had only seeds in its middle mapping to the reference genome,
but commonly the wave front may still score from top to bottom of
the matrix. Local alignment is typically achieved by two
adjustments. First, alignment scores are never allowed to fall
below zero (or some other floor), and if a cell score otherwise
calculated would be negative, a zero score is substituted,
representing the start of a new alignment. Second, the maximum
alignment score produced in any cell in the matrix, not necessarily
along the bottom edge, is used as the terminus of the alignment.
The alignment is backtraced from this maximum score up and left
through the matrix to a zero score, which is used as the start
position of the local alignment, even if it is not on the top row
of the matrix.
[0321] In view of the above, there are several different possible
pathways through the virtual array. In various embodiments, the
wave front starts from the upper left corner of the virtual array,
and moves downwards towards identifiers of the maximum score. For
instance, the results of all possible aligns can be gathered,
processed, correlated, and scored to determine the maximum score.
When the end of a boundary or the end of the array has been reached
and/or a computation leading to the highest score for all of the
processed cells is determined (e.g., the overall highest score
identified) then a backtrace may be performed so as to find the
pathway that was taken to achieve that highest score.
[0322] For example, a pathway that leads to a predicted maximum
score may be identified, and once identified an audit may be
performed so as to determine how that maximum score was derived,
for instance, by moving backwards following the best score
alignment arrows retracing the pathway that led to achieving the
identified maximum score, such as calculated by the wave front
scoring cells. This backwards reconstruction or backtrace involves
starting from a determined maximum score, and working backward
through the previous cells navigating the path of cells having the
scores that led to achieving the maximum score all the way up the
table and back to an initial boundary, such as the beginning of the
array, or a zero score in the case of local alignment.
[0323] During a backtrace, having reached a particular cell in the
alignment matrix, the next backtrace step is to the neighboring
cell, immediately leftward, or above, or diagonally up-left, which
contributed the best score that was selected to construct the score
in the current cell. In this manner, the evolution of the maximum
score may be determined, thereby figuring out how the maximum score
was achieved. The backtrace may end at a corner, or an edge, or a
boundary, or may end at a zero score, such as in the upper left
hand corner of the array. Accordingly, it is such a back trace that
identifies the proper alignment and thereby produces the CIGAR
strand readout, e.g., 3M, 2D, 8M, 4I, 16M, etc., that represents
how the sample genomic sequence derived from the individual, or a
portion thereof, matches to, or otherwise aligns with, the genomic
sequence of the reference DNA.
[0324] Accordingly, once it has been determined where each read is
mapped, and further determined where each read is aligned, e.g.,
each relevant read has been given a position and a quality score
reflecting the probability that the position is the correct
alignment, such that the nucleotide sequence for the subject's DNA
is known, then the order of the various reads and/or genomic
nucleic acid sequence of the subject may be verified, such as by
performing a back trace function moving backwards up through the
array so as to determine the identity of every nucleic acid in its
proper order in the sample genomic sequence. Consequently, in some
aspects, the present disclosure is directed to a back trace
function, such as is part of an alignment module that performs both
an alignment and a back trace function, such as a module that may
be part of a pipeline of modules, such as a pipeline that is
directed at taking raw sequence read data, such as form a genomic
sample form an individual, and mapping and/or aligning that data,
which data may then be sorted.
[0325] To facilitate the backtrace operation, it is useful to store
a scoring vector for each scored cell in the alignment matrix,
encoding the score-selection decision. For classical Smith-Waterman
and/or Needleman-Wunsch scoring with linear gap penalties, the
scoring vector can encode four possibilities, which may optionally
be stored as a 2-bit integer from 0 to 3, for example: 0=new
alignment (null score selected); 1=vertical alignment (score from
the cell above selected, modified by gap penalty); 2=horizontal
alignment (score from the cell to the left selected, modified by
gap penalty); 3=diagonal alignment (score from the cell up and left
selected, modified by nucleotide match or mismatch score).
Optionally, the computed score(s) for each scored matrix cell may
also be stored (in addition to the maximum achieved alignment score
which is standardly stored), but this is not generally necessary
for backtrace, and can consume large amounts of memory. Performing
backtrace then becomes a matter of following the scoring vectors;
when the backtrace has reached a given cell in the matrix, the next
backtrace step is determined by the stored scoring vector for that
cell, e.g.: 0=terminate backtrace; 1=backtrace upward; 2=backtrace
leftward; 3=backtrace diagonally up-left.
[0326] Such scoring vectors may be stored in a two-dimensional
table arranged according to the dimensions of the alignment matrix,
wherein only entries corresponding to cells scored by the wave
front are populated. Alternatively, to conserve memory, more easily
record scoring vectors as they are generated, and more easily
accommodate alignment matrices of various sizes, scoring vectors
may be stored in a table with each row sized to store scoring
vectors from a single wave front of scoring cells, e.g. 128 bits to
store 64 2-bit scoring vectors from a 64-cell wave front, and a
number of rows equal to the maximum number of wave front steps in
an alignment operation.
[0327] Additionally, for this option, a record may be kept of the
directions of the various wavefront steps, e.g., storing an extra,
e.g., 129.sup.th, bit in each table row, encoding e.g., 0 for
vertical wavefront step preceding this wavefront position, and 1
for horizontal wavefront step preceding this wavefront position.
This extra bit can be used during backtrace to keep track of which
virtual scoring matrix positions the scoring vectors in each table
row correspond to, so that the proper scoring vector can be
retrieved after each successive backtrace step. When a backtrace
step is vertical or horizontal, the next scoring vector should be
retrieved from the previous table row, but when a backtrace step is
diagonal, the next scoring vector should be retrieved from two rows
previous, because the wavefront had to take two steps to move from
scoring any one cell to scoring the cell diagonally right-down from
it.
[0328] In the case of affine gap scoring, scoring vector
information may be extended, e.g. to 4 bits per scored cell. In
addition to the e.g. 2-bit score-choice direction indicator, two
1-bit flags may be added, a vertical extend flag, and a horizontal
extend flag. According to the methods of affine gap scoring
extensions to Smith-Waterman or Needleman-Wunsch or similar
alignment algorithms, for each cell, in addition to the primary
alignment score representing the best-scoring alignment terminating
in that cell, a `vertical score` should be generated, corresponding
to the maximum alignment score reaching that cell with a final
vertical step, and a `horizontal score` should be generated,
corresponding to the maximum alignment score reaching that cell
with a final horizontal step; and when computing any of the three
scores, a vertical step into the cell may be computed either using
the primary score from the cell above minus a gap-open penalty, or
using the vertical score from the cell above minus a gap-extend
penalty, whichever is greater; and a horizontal step into the cell
may be computed either using the primary score from the cell to the
left minus a gap-open penalty, or using the horizontal score from
the cell to the left minus a gap-extend penalty, whichever is
greater. In cases where the vertical score minus a gap extend
penalty is selected, the vertical extend flag in the scoring vector
should be set, e.g. `1`, and otherwise it should be unset, e.g.
`0`. In cases when the horizontal score minus a gap extend penalty
is selected, the horizontal extend flag in the scoring vector
should be set, e.g. `1`, and otherwise it should be unset, e.g.
`0`. During backtrace for affine gap scoring, any time backtrace
takes a vertical step upward from a given cell, if that cell's
scoring vector's vertical extend flag is set, the following
backtrace step must also be vertical, regardless of the scoring
vector for the cell above. Likewise, any time backtrace takes a
horizontal step leftward from a given cell, if that cell's scoring
vector's horizontal extend flag is set, the following backtrace
step must also be horizontal, regardless of the scoring vector for
the cell to the left.
[0329] Accordingly, such a table of scoring vectors, e.g. 129 bits
per row for 64 cells using linear gap scoring, or 257 bits per row
for 64 cells using affine gap scoring, with some number NR of rows,
is adequate to support backtrace after concluding alignment scoring
where the scoring wavefront took NR steps or fewer. For example,
when aligning 300-nucleotide reads, the number of wavefront steps
required may always be less than 1024, so the table may be
257.times.1024 bits, or approximately 32 kilobytes, which in many
cases may be a reasonable local memory inside the IC. But if very
long reads are to be aligned, e.g. 100,000 nucleotides, the memory
requirements for scoring vectors may be quite large, e.g. 8
megabytes, which may be very costly to include as local memory
inside the IC. For such support, scoring vector information may be
recorded to bulk memory outside the IC, e.g. DRAM, but then the
bandwidth requirements, e.g. 257 bits per clock cycle per aligner
module, may be excessive, which may bottleneck and dramatically
reduce aligner performance.
[0330] Accordingly, it is desirable to have a method for disposing
of scoring vectors before completing alignment, so their storage
requirements can be kept bounded, e.g. to perform incremental
backtraces, generating incremental partial CIGAR strings for
example, from early portions of an alignment's scoring vector
history, so that such early portions of the scoring vectors may
then be discarded. The challenge is that the backtrace is supposed
to begin in the alignment's terminal, maximum scoring cell, which
unknown until the alignment scoring completes, so any backtrace
begun before alignment completes may begin from the wrong cell, not
along the eventual final optimal alignment path.
[0331] Accordingly, a method is given for performing incremental
backtrace from partial alignment information, e.g. comprising
partial scoring vector information for alignment matrix cells
scored so far. From a currently completed alignment boundary, e.g.,
a particular scored wave front position, backtrace is initiated
from all cell positions on the boundary. Such backtrace from all
boundary cells may be performed sequentially, or advantageously,
especially in a hardware implementation, all the backtraces may be
performed together. It is not necessary to extract alignment
notations, e.g., CIGAR strings, from these multiple backtraces;
only to determine what alignment matrix positions they pass through
during the backtrace. In an implementation of simultaneous
backtrace from a scoring boundary, a number of 1-bit registers may
be utilized, corresponding to the number of alignment cells,
initialized e.g., all to `1`s, representing whether any of the
backtraces pass through a corresponding position. For each step of
simultaneous backtrace, scoring vectors corresponding to all the
current `1`s in these registers, e.g. from one row of the scoring
vector table, can be examined, to determine a next backtrace step
corresponding to each `1` in the registers, leading to a following
position for each `1` in the registers, for the next simultaneous
backtrace step.
[0332] Importantly, it is easily possible for multiple `1`s in the
registers to merge into common positions, corresponding to multiple
of the simultaneous backtraces merging together onto common
backtrace paths. Once two or more of the simultaneous backtraces
merge together, they remain merged indefinitely, because henceforth
they will utilize scoring vector information from the same cell. It
has been observed, empirically and for theoretical reasons, that
with high probability, all of the simultaneous backtraces merge
into a singular backtrace path, in a relatively small number of
backtrace steps, which e.g. may be a small multiple, e.g. 8, times
the number of scoring cells in the wavefront. For example, with a
64-cell wavefront, with high probability, all backtraces from a
given wavefront boundary merge into a single backtrace path within
512 backtrace steps. Alternatively, it is also possible, and not
uncommon, for all backtraces to terminate within the number, e.g.
512, of backtrace steps.
[0333] Accordingly, the multiple simultaneous backtraces may be
performed from a scoring boundary, e.g. a scored wavefront
position, far enough back that they all either terminate or merge
into a single backtrace path, e.g. in 512 backtrace steps or fewer.
If they all merge together into a singular backtrace path, then
from the location in the scoring matrix where they merge, or any
distance further back along the singular backtrace path, an
incremental backtrace from partial alignment information is
possible. Further backtrace from the merge point, or any distance
further back, is commenced, by normal singular backtrace methods,
including recording the corresponding alignment notation, e.g., a
partial CIGAR string. This incremental backtrace, and e.g. partial
CIGAR string, must be part of any possible final backtrace, and
e.g. full CIGAR string, that would result after alignment
completes, unless such final backtrace would terminate before
reaching the scoring boundary where simultaneous backtrace began,
because if it reaches the scoring boundary, it must follow one of
the simultaneous backtrace paths, and merge into the singular
backtrace path, now incrementally extracted.
[0334] Therefore, all scoring vectors for the matrix regions
corresponding to the incrementally extracted backtrace, e.g., in
all table rows for wave front positions preceding the start of the
extracted singular backtrace, may be safely discarded. When the
final backtrace is performed from a maximum scoring cell, if it
terminates before reaching the scoring boundary (or alternatively,
if it terminates before reaching the start of the extracted
singular backtrace), the incremental alignment notation, e.g.
partial CIGAR string, may be discarded. If the final backtrace
continues to the start of the extracted singular backtrace, its
alignment notation, e.g., CIGAR string, may then be grafted onto
the incremental alignment notation, e.g., partial CIGAR string.
[0335] Furthermore, in a very long alignment, the process of
performing a simultaneous backtrace from a scoring boundary, e.g.,
scored wave front position, until all backtraces terminate or
merge, followed by a singular backtrace with alignment notation
extraction, may be repeated multiple times, from various successive
scoring boundaries. The incremental alignment notation, e.g.
partial CIGAR string, from each successive incremental backtrace
may then be grafted onto the accumulated previous alignment
notations, unless the new simultaneous backtrace or singular
backtrace terminates early, in which case accumulated previous
alignment notations may be discarded. The eventual final backtrace
likewise grafts its alignment notation onto the most recent
accumulated alignment notations, for a complete backtrace
description, e.g. CIGAR string.
[0336] Accordingly, in this manner, the memory to store scoring
vectors may be kept bounded, assuming simultaneous backtraces
always merge together in a bounded number of steps, e.g. 512 steps.
In rare cases where simultaneous backtraces fail to merge or
terminate in the bounded number of steps, various exceptional
actions may be taken, including failing the current alignment, or
repeating it with a higher bound or with no bound, perhaps by a
different or traditional method, such as storing all scoring
vectors for the complete alignment, such as in external DRAM. In a
variation, it may be reasonable to fail such an alignment, because
it is extremely rare, and even rarer that such a failed alignment
would have been a best-scoring alignment to be used in alignment
reporting.
[0337] In an optional variation, scoring vector storage may be
divided, physically or logically, into a number of distinct blocks,
e.g. 512 rows each, and the final row in each block may be used as
a scoring boundary to commence a simultaneous backtrace.
Optionally, a simultaneous backtrace may be required to terminate
or merge within the single block, e.g. 512 steps. Optionally, if
simultaneous backtraces merge in fewer steps, the merged backtrace
may nevertheless be continued through the whole block, before
commencing an extraction of a singular backtrace in the previous
block. Accordingly, after scoring vectors are fully written to
block N, and begin writing to block N+1, a simultaneous backtrace
may commence in block N, followed by a singular backtrace and
alignment notation extraction in block N-1. If the speed of the
simultaneous backtrace, the singular backtrace, and alignment
scoring are all similar or identical, and can be performed
simultaneously, e.g., in parallel hardware in an IC, then the
singular backtrace in block N-1 may be simultaneous with scoring
vectors filling block N+2, and when block N+3 is to be filled,
block N-1 may be released and recycled.
[0338] Thus, in such an implementation, a minimum of 4 scoring
vector blocks may be employed, and may be utilized cyclically.
Hence, the total scoring vector storage for an aligner module may
be 4 blocks of 257.times.512 bits each, for example, or
approximately 64 kilobytes. In a variation, if the current maximum
alignment score corresponds to an earlier block than the current
wavefront position, this block and the previous block may be
preserved rather than recycled, so that a final backtrace may
commence from this position if it remains the maximum score; having
an extra 2 blocks to keep preserved in this manner brings the
minimum, e.g., to 6 blocks. In another variation, to support
overlapped alignments, the scoring wave front crossing gradually
from one alignment matrix to the next as described above,
additional blocks, e.g. 1 or 2 additional blocks, may be utilized,
e.g., 8 blocks total, e.g., approximately 128 kilobytes.
Accordingly, if such a limited number of blocks, e.g., 4 blocks or
8 blocks, is used cyclically, alignment and backtrace of
arbitrarily long reads is possible, e.g., 100,000 nucleotides, or
an entire chromosome, without the use of external memory for
scoring vectors.
[0339] As described above, certain regions of DNA are genes, which
encode for proteins or functional RNA. Each gene exists on a single
strand of the double-stranded DNA double-helix, often as a series
of exons (coding segments) separated by introns (non-coding
segments). Some genes have only a single exon, but most have
several exons (separated by introns), and some have hundreds of
exons or thousands of exons. Exons are commonly a few hundred
nucleotides long, but may be as short as only a few nucleotides or
as long as tens or hundreds of thousands. Introns are commonly
thousands of nucleotides long, and some exceed a million
nucleotides.
[0340] A gene may be transcribed by RNA polymerase enzymes into
messenger RNA (mRNA) or other types of RNA. The immediate RNA
transcript is a single-stranded copy of the gene, except that DNA
thymine (T) bases are transcribed into RNA Uracil (U) bases. But
immediately after this copy is produced, the intron-copies are
usually spliced out by spliceosomes, leaving the exon-copies
concatenated together at "splice junctions" (which are not
thereafter directly evident). RNA splicing does not always occur in
the same way. Sometimes one or more exons are spliced out, and
sometimes splice junctions do not fall on the most common
intron/exon boundaries. Thus, a single gene can produce multiple
different transcribed RNA segments, a process sometimes known as
alternative splicing.
[0341] Spliced mRNA is transported (in eukaryotes) out of the
cellular nucleus to a ribosome, which decodes it into a protein,
each group of three RNA nucleotides (e.g., codon) codes for one
amino acid. In this manner, genes in DNA serve as original
instructions for the manufacture of proteins.
[0342] RNA splicing tends to occur at consistent exon/intron
boundaries, which are characterized by typical sequence content,
especially near the ends of the introns. In particular, the first
two and last two bases of an intron, called an intron motif, follow
one of only 3 sequences, the "canonical" intron motifs, the vast
majority of the time (roughly 99.9%). The most common canonical
intron motif is "GT/AG", meaning the first two bases of the intron
are `G`, `T`, and the last two bases are `A`, `G`. The GT/AG motif
occurs roughly 98.8% of the time. The other canonical intron motifs
are GC/AG, occurring roughly 1.0% of the time, and AT/AC, occurring
roughly 0.1% of the time. These canonical motifs and their
prevalence rates are reasonably consistent across species, but may
not be universal.
[0343] Not all genes are transcribed, and those that are may be
transcribed at different rates. Many factors can influence whether
a given gene is transcribed into RNA, and how often. Some of these
factors are inherited, some vary by cell specialization from one
tissue to another, and some vary over time with environmental
conditions or diseases or genetic mutational artifacts. Therefore,
two cells with exactly the same DNA may produce quite different
types and quantities of proteins and functional RNA. Because of
this, sequencing (reading) the RNA present in one or more cells
provides different information from sequencing the DNA. A more
complete picture of cellular condition and activity is provided by
combining DNA sequencing and RNA sequencing.
[0344] Whole-transcriptome RNA sequencing is commonly performed by
first selecting the target RNA, such as protein-coding RNA, then
using reverse-transcriptase enzymes to convert the RNA segments
back into strands of complementary DNA (cDNA). This DNA can be
amplified with polymerase chain reaction (PCR) and/or fragmented
into a desired distribution of sequence lengths. Then, the DNA
fragments are sequenced with a DNA/RNA sequencer, such as a
"shotgun" next-generation sequencer.
[0345] The resulting DNA reads are either reverse-complemented or
forward copies of the original RNA strands, except that `U`s are
replaced again with `T`s. With some library preparation and
sequencing protocols, the orientation of the sequenced DNA strands
relative to the original RNA may be maintained or flagged; but in
common protocols, approximately 50% of the sequenced DNA will be
reverse-complemented relative to the original RNA, with no direct
indication of orientation (although there are indirect
indications).
[0346] The DNA reads from RNA-seq protocols are different from
whole-genome or whole-exome DNA sequencing in other ways. First,
aside from contaminants, only transcribed RNA gets sequenced, so
non-coding DNA and inactive genes do not generally appear. Second,
the quantity of sequenced reads corresponding to various genes is
related to the biological transcription rates of those genes.
Third, due to intron splicing, the RNA-seq reads tend to skip over
intron (non-coding) segments within genes.
[0347] RNA-seq reads are usually processed quite differently from
DNA reads. Although both types of reads are typically mapped and
aligned to a reference genome, the techniques of DNA and RNA
mapping and alignment may differ (as may be seen below). After
mapping and alignment, reads are commonly sorted by their mapped
reference positions, for both DNA and RNA. Duplicate marking, which
is optional for DNA processing, is not commonly used for RNA-seq
data.
[0348] After this, DNA reads are commonly processed by a variant
caller, to identify differences between the sampled DNA and the
reference genome. RNA-seq reads are not commonly used for variant
calling, although this is occasionally done. More commonly, aligned
and sorted RNA reads are analyzed to determine which genes were
expressed in what relative quantities, and/or which of various
alternatively-spliced transcripts were produced in what relative
quantities. This analysis commonly involves counting how many reads
align to various genes, exons, etc., and may also involve
transcript assembly (reference-based or de novo) to infer from
relatively short RNA-seq reads how the longer RNA transcripts were
likely spiced from the DNA.
[0349] Gene, exon, or transcript expression analysis is often
extended to differential expression analysis, in which RNA-seq data
from multiple samples, often from two or more different classes
(sub-populations or phenotypes), is compared to quantify to what
extent the genes, exon, or transcripts were expressed differently
in different classes. This can include calculating the likelihood
of a "null hypothesis" that corresponding expression levels were
the same in the different classes, as well as estimating the "fold
change" in expression between the samples, e.g. an 8- or 10-fold
difference.
[0350] For many applications of DNA and/or RNA sequencing, an early
processing stage is mapping and aligning reads to a reference
genome. Normally, a DNA-oriented reference genome is used for both
DNA and RNA sequencing, with `T`s not `U`s present, especially
considering RNA-seq usually involved reverse-transcription into
cDNA before sequencing. In the case of RNA-seq, as with whole-exome
sequencing for that matter, the reference genome could conceivably
be restricted to known coding regions, or to regions near coding
DNA. However, it is common practice to map and align to a whole
reference genome for the sampled organism.
[0351] The biggest difference required in an RNA-capable
mapper/aligner is the ability to handle splice junctions. Because
RNA-seq reads correspond to segments of transcribed and spliced
RNA, commonly a read crosses one or more splice junctions. With
respect to the DNA-oriented reference genome, this means a first
portion of the read came from, and should map to, a first exon, a
second portion of the read should map to a second exon, and so
forth. For example, in a 100-base read, the first 40 bases may come
from an exon at Chromosome 3 offset 2,345,000, and the remaining 60
bases may come from another exon 100,000 bases away, starting at
chromosome offset 2,445,040. The alignment for such a read may be
represented with mapping position Chr3:2345000, and alignment CIGAR
string "40M100000N60M", in which the "40M" and "60M" represent the
portions aligned to respective exons, and the "100000N" represents
a 100,000 base intron, these 100,000 reference bases being skipped
by the read alignment. (Abstractly, this CIGAR string can be seen
as equivalent to "40M100000D60M", where "100000D" represents a
100,000 base deletion from the reference, but it is customary to
represent assumed spliced-out introns with `N` versus deletions
from assumed mutations or sequencing errors with `D`.)
[0352] A practical difference between `N` (intron) and `D`
(deletion) CIGAR events relates to their typical lengths. Deletion
events are rarely longer than 50 bases, and as such are usefully
discovered and precisely positioned using Smith-Waterman or similar
sequence alignment algorithms and methods, as described herein.
Introns are often many thousands of bases long, or even a million
bases or more, and can be burdensome to use Smith-Waterman type
aligners to detect such long alignment gaps. Therefore, the as
typically practiced, initial discovery of splice junctions is more
the purview of "mapping", rather than "aligning".
[0353] The mapping problem is that each read may be partitioned
into exon segments at unknown boundaries, and the various exon
segments are likely to map to widely separated genomic locations,
which need to be individually discovered. Techniques to map exon
segments to their corresponding reference locations can be similar
to techniques to map a whole read to one reference segment, but
spliced mapping (the former) is more challenging because each exon
may be significantly shorter than the whole read, and therefore
contains much less information to guide the mapper. Indeed, a
single exon may be as short as one (1) base, such as "G", and
without additional information it is not practical to determine
where in the million-base potential intron range that single base
should map to.
[0354] In addition to discovering the mappings of two consecutive
exon segments of a read, the splice junction between them needs to
be more precisely positioned, for at least some applications. Even
though it may be clear that the first roughly 40 bases last roughly
60 bases of a 100-base read map to locations exactly 100,000 bases
apart in Chromosome 3, it is often much less clear exactly how many
read bases map to each of these two locations, or exactly where the
splice junction, the boundary between the two exon segments, falls
in the read. The correct CIGAR may plausibly be not just
"40M100000N60M", for example, but "39M100000N61M" or
"42M100000N58M". Hence, more precise positioning of splice
junctions can be more of an "aligning" operation, rather than
"mapping".
[0355] An RNA-capable mapper may also usefully infer which of the
two DNA strands the read sequence was transcribed from. In typical
non-directional RNA-seq protocols, a given read may align either
forward or reverse-complemented to the reference (with or without
splice junctions). In paired-end RNA-seq protocols, commonly the
two mate reads are oriented "FR" (forward/reverse), such that the
mate mapping earlier in the reference genome is oriented forward,
and the other mate is reverse-complemented. But in typical
non-directional RNA-seq protocols, these mapping orientations do
not determine which DNA strand carried the gene from which the RNA
for this read was transcribed, in part because both orientations
are produced when cDNA is amplified by PCR.
[0356] Finally, an RNA-capable mapper can usefully leverage an
input database of "annotated" known splice junctions. All common
human genes have been studied in detail, for example, and the
splice junctions of most common and less common RNA transcripts
annotated in genomic databases. This information is not 100%
comprehensive; any individual sample is likely to exhibit some
"novel" splicing not recorded in databases. But still, annotated
splice junctions can serve as useful guides to enhance the accuracy
of RNA-seq mapping and alignment. After mapping/aligning RNA-seq
reads with or without annotated splice junctions, another method
may include the detection of the set of splice junctions observed
in the aligned reads, with some criteria such as minimum number of
alignments covering a splice junction, and this set of empirically
detected splice junctions may be used as the annotated splice
junctions for a second pass of RNA mapping/aligning. This can
enhance sensitivity, by using splice junctions found in some reads
to guide mapping of other reads.
[0357] Initial seed mapping for RNA-seq reads proceeds similarly to
DNA reads. A primary seed length K is chosen, ideally somewhat
longer than the base-4 logarithm of the reference genome size to
make seeds map fairly uniquely, such as K=18 or K=21 for a whole
human genome reference. A hash table is constructed, populated with
some or all seeds from the reference genome, the hash record in the
hash table for each populated seed indicating its position and
orientation in the reference. The hash table is loaded into memory
accessible to the mapper engine hardware, such as DRAM modules on
an FPGA board wired to pins on the FPGA instantiating the mapper
and/or other engine hardware.
[0358] The mapper engine receives RNA reads originating from an RNA
or DNA sequencer (often having been reverse-transcribed into cDNA
before sequencing). From each read, the mapper extracts seeds of
length K, ideally a sliding window of multiple overlapping K-base
seeds, chosen with some pattern, such as starting at each base
position, or starting at every even-numbered position. The mapper
accesses the hash table in memory for each seed, obtaining a list
of zero, one, or more positions in the reference genome where the
seed matches. As with DNA mapping, seeds may be dynamically
extended, accessing the hash table repeatedly with successively
longer seeds when necessary to reduce a large set of matching
positions to a reasonably small set, such as 16 or fewer matches.
Seed matches are aggregated into seed chains, comprising seeds
matching with the same orientation (forward or reverse-complemented
with respect to the reference) along similar alignment
diagonals.
[0359] For RNA-seq reads, an additional step by the mapper engine
to refine initial seed mapping with anchored short seed mapping may
be advantageous. For instance, as can be seen with respect to FIG.
1, RNA reads often cross one or more splice junctions, and a seed
crossing a read's splice junction usually fails to map because its
true image in the reference is split between two locations. When a
read contains an exon shorter than the initial seed length K, or
the read overlaps a longer exon by fewer bases than K, then seed
mapping may fail to locate the corresponding reference position for
that exon. Even when a whole or partial exon is somewhat longer
than K bases, but shorter than the whole read, it can be vulnerable
to seed mapping failure when it contains at least one edit
(difference) from the reference, such as a single nucleotide
polymorphism (SNP) or insertion or deletion (indel) from a mutation
in the sample relative to the reference or from a sequencing error.
For example, as can be seen with respect to FIG. 1, an example of a
failure to map all exon segments with long (K-base) seeds is shown.
For this reason, for good seed mapping sensitivity, it is desirable
to query shorter seeds, which can fit in short exons or short
read-overhangs of exons, or between edits.
[0360] It may be somewhat impractical to query a whole-genome hash
table for seeds much shorter than a minimum length related to the
base-4 logarithm of the reference genome size, because shorter
seeds will tend to match very large numbers of locations. For
instance, with a whole human genome reference of size approximately
3.1 billion bases, the base 4 logarithm is approximately 15.8, and
a minimum practical seed length to query may be K=16 or 18, with
perhaps K=21 or more being an efficient setting; however, it is
impractical to query K=11 base seeds, because each 11-base pattern
will match an average of more than 700 reference locations.
[0361] However, after initial seed mapping with e.g. K=21 base
seeds, it is possible to refine seed mapping with anchored seeds of
a shorter length, such as L=11 bases. For anchored seed mapping, an
anchored-seed hash table (which can be the same as the primary hash
table, e.g., described above, or a separate one) is populated with
L-base seeds from the reference, which are keyed to specific
regions of the reference, such as bins of some size, such as
2.sup.16=65,536 bases. Each reference region or bin is given a
unique ID, such as its starting position in the reference genome
divided by the bin size. L-base seeds within each reference bin are
populated into the anchored-seed hash table, using a hash key
formed from the L seed bases and the bin ID.
[0362] The mapper engine may query the anchored-seed hash table for
any given L-base seed within any given bin, using a query hash key
formed in the same manner from the L seed bases and the bin ID.
Only L-base seed matches within that specific reference bin will be
located by this query. Since the bin is much smaller than the whole
reference genome, the short L-base seed has enough information to
often map uniquely. For example, the base-4 logarithm of bin size
65,536 is 8, so L=11 (or 10, 12, etc.) is a practical anchored seed
length to populate and query. As can be seen with respect to FIG.
2, short (L-base) seeds more easily fit into short exons, short
exon overhangs, or exon segments cut by edits such as SNPs.
[0363] A key to make anchored seed mapping work more efficiently is
that mapper engine queries to the anchored-seed hash table may be
guided by the results of initial seed mapping. Initial matches
with, e.g., K=21, base seeds may not successfully map all exon
segments of a read, but they are very likely to map at least one
exon segment of each read, or of its paired end mate read. Given at
least one K-base match within at least one exon segment in an RNA
read or its mate, any other exon segments in the read which were
not successfully mapped by K-base seeds are very likely to match
relatively nearby in the reference genome.
[0364] For example, roughly 99% of human introns are shorter than
65,536 bases, so if one exon segment maps with K-base seeds to a
given reference position, then other unmapped exon segments are
likely to match within the same 65,536-base reference bin, or an
adjacent bin. As can be seen with respect to FIG. 3, a search range
can be defined, e.g. the bin size, or 1/2 or 1/4 the bin size, or
twice the bin size, and one or more reference bins within the
search range of successfully-mapped K-base seeds can be queried in
the anchored-seed hash table using L-base seeds. Thus, K-base seed
matches serve as anchors for local searches with shorter L-base
seeds. This is likely to find additional matches to previously
unmapped exon segments of the read. In this manner, seed mapping
sensitivity is improved for RNA reads.
[0365] Additionally, there are various other ways that the mapper
engine can utilize anchored short seed mapping. In one embodiment,
after the mapper queries K-base initial seeds in the hash table and
aggregates matches into seed chains, the mapper then extracts
L-base seeds from the read, and queries these in nearby reference
bins (within the selected search radius of current seed chains) to
find additional matches to shorter L-base seeds, which the mapper
engine then aggregates into additional seed chains, or adds to
existing seed chains with similar alignment diagonals. In such an
embodiment, it may be advantageous for the anchored-seed hash table
to be the same as the primary hash table, or for distinct primary
and anchored-seed hash tables to reside in accessible memory
simultaneously. In either case, to fit the hash table(s) with both
K-base and L-base seeds in memory, roughly twice as much memory may
be used, such as 64 GB of DRAM rather than 32 GB of DRAM, or
alternatively, roughly half as many reference seeds of each length
may be populated, such as 50% populated seed density rather than
100% populated seed density. To limit the number of anchored-seed
hash table queries required, only the more promising initial seed
chains may be used as anchors, and/or L-base seeds may be extracted
from the read only from certain regions, such as regions where
K-base seeds did not successfully map.
[0366] In another embodiment, mapping and/or alignment for a set of
reads may be taken to completion in a first pass using K-base seeds
only. The mapping/alignment results for each read may then be
examined, such as by software outside the mapper engine, e.g., on
the CPU of an associated computer or server, to determine which
reads require refined mapping using anchored short seeds. One
indication that may trigger anchored seed refinement is that
first-pass alignments are clipped, especially with clipping near or
greater than the short seed length L. Another indication triggering
anchored seed refinement may be a substantial amount of mismatching
observed within the first-pass alignments. A further indication
triggering anchored seed refinement may be that paired-end mates
did not both map successfully, or mapped far away from each other
or in unexpected relative orientations. Advantageously, if one read
is selected for short seed refinement, its paired-end mate may also
be selected. Advantageously, only a fraction of first-pass
alignments may require short-seed refinement, such as about 15% to
about 50%, including about 30%.
[0367] For each read in the subset employing short-seed refinement,
one or more reference bins to search may be selected, such as bins
overlapping a search radius around first-pass alignment results for
the read and/or its mate (See FIG. 3). Then a second
mapping/alignment pass may be made over the subset of reads chosen
for refinement. In the second pass, L-base seeds from each read may
be queried in the anchored-seed hash table, keyed to the one or
more selected reference bins for each read. Typically, for at least
some of the reads selected for the second pass, improved
mappings/alignments result, such as with higher alignment scores;
the second-pass results can be retained in such cases when they are
improved, or the first-pass results retained in other cases.
Optionally, the primary hash table may be loaded into
engine-accessible memory before the first mapping pass, and the
anchored-seed hash table may be loaded before the second mapping
pass, eliminating the need to fit both hash tables (or a single
combined hash table) in memory at once, albeit both may be loaded
at the same time, or to reduce reference seed population density to
make both fit at once.
[0368] In some embodiments, the reference bins may have a
configurable size, the search radius may be configurable, and both
the initial seed length (K) and anchored seed length (L) may be
configurable. In other embodiments, the reference bin size may be a
power of two. Exemplary settings for human whole-transcriptome
RNA-seq processing may be K=21, L=11, reference bin size 2
16=65,536, and search radius 2 14=16,384.
[0369] If annotated splice junctions are provided to the mapper
engine, they can be leveraged to improve mapping sensitivity. The
list of annotated junctions may be loaded into memory accessible by
the mapper engine. Advantageously, the annotated junctions may be
formatted into a table easily accessed by the mapper engine, such
as a table with an entry for each e.g. 1024-base bin of the
reference, which either contains information about an intron with
at least one endpoint in that bin, or points to a list (in space
allocated after the initial table) of multiple intron descriptors.
Each intron descriptor indicates the reference positions of both
endpoints of an associated intron, and may also carry additional
information such as which DNA strand the intron's gene is on, the
intron's motif, and a measure of how frequently the splice junction
occurs.
[0370] After seed mapping (initial seeds and/or anchored short
seeds) and seed chain formation, the annotated junction table may
be accessed, at rows corresponding to the reference regions spanned
by each seed chain, or regions near the ends of long seed chains. A
list of introns with at least one endpoint nearby may be obtained,
and may be compared with at least the seed chain for which the
access was made. Each intron may be discarded if it is not a
possible or likely splice junction from the seed chain. In
particular, by comparing the intron endpoint location in the
reference with the seed chain endpoint in the reference and in the
read, an effective location of the splice junction in the read may
be calculated. If this effective location is outside the bounds of
the read, or overlaps the seed chain substantially (e.g. more than
maxSpliceOlap=16 inside the seed chain's endpoint), or is too far
outside the extents of the seed chain in the read (e.g. more than
maxSpliceGap=150 bases outside the seed chain), then the annotated
junction may be discarded as unlikely to be relevant.
[0371] Each remaining intron descriptor may then be considered as a
possible splice junction from one end of the associated seed chain.
This information may typically be utilized in two ways. First, the
opposite end of the intron in the reference may be taken as a
likely location that an adjacent portion of the read should map to,
even if that location was not discovered by seed mapping. Indeed,
the most likely alignment diagonal at the opposite end of the
intron may be calculated by adding or subtracting (depending on
orientations) the intron length from the alignment diagonal at the
corresponding end of the current seed chain. If that reference
location and alignment diagonal are not consistent with any
existing seed chain, then a new (pseudo) seed chain may be
fabricated starting at the reference location at the opposite end
of the intron, and starting in the read at the corresponding
position implied by the calculated alignment diagonal. In this
manner, likely mapping locations of exon segments of the read may
be discovered without seeds mapping inside of them, such as by
inferring their locations across introns from existing seed
chains.
[0372] Second, annotated intron information may be used to
establish a known link between two seed chains, which represent
adjacent exon segments in the read. Link information is recorded in
one or both seed chain descriptors, identifying the other chain
that it links to via an annotated splice junction. Furthermore, the
position of the splice junction may be known (e.g., assuming the
annotated junction is correct), calculated by differences between
annotated intron endpoints and seed chain alignment diagonals. This
splice junction positioning may also be recorded in one or both
seed chain descriptors.
[0373] If multiple annotated splice junctions are discovered
linking from the same seed chain, the link and splice junction
position information can be recorded in various ways. For instance,
each link between two chains may be recorded such as in only one of
the two chains, so there may be no conflict if, for example, it is
always recorded at the "destination" end of a link. One seed chain
descriptor can have room to store multiple links, or have dynamic
space for link information. Additionally, copies of existing seed
chain descriptors can be made to hold alternate link
information.
[0374] Annotated splice junction lookup may advantageously be
iterated. Starting from one seed chain covering, for example, the
first 1/3 of a read, an annotated splice junction may be
discovered, linking to a previously undetected reference location,
which may be fabricated into a new seed chain. The annotated
junction table may be accessed again for the newly fabricated seed
chain, perhaps discovering that after a second 1/3 of the read,
there is another known junction to another undiscovered reference
location. Advantageously, the annotated junction table entries can
indicate the distance (continuing in the same direction as the
junction annotated) before the nearest other annotated junction is
reached, within transcripts of the same gene, or in general. When
this distance, measured after the calculated splice junction
location in the read, extends beyond the end of the read, there is
no need to access the annotated junction table again, because
nothing will be found.
[0375] Within the mapper engine, seed matches with same orientation
(forward or reverse-complement with respect to the reference) and
similar alignment diagonals are aggregated into seed chains, with
the intent that a single gapless or gapped alignment operation may
later examine and score the alignment between the read and the
reference, such as for each seed chain. An alignment diagonal can
be imagined as the diagonally-oriented alignment path covered by a
matching seed, in the alignment rectangle, e.g., virtual matrix,
formed with the read sequence on one axis and the reference
sequence on the other axis; one representation as an integer may be
calculated for forward alignments by subtracting a seed's position
in the read from its position in the reference, and for
reverse-complemented alignments by adding the seed's read position
to its reference position.
[0376] When a read matches a segment of the reference exactly, such
as positions 0 to 100 in the read matching positions 1,200,000 to
1,200,100 in the reference, all seeds normally match on the same
diagonal, e.g. 1,200,000-0=1,200,100-100=1,200,000; a particular
21-base seed from bases 30 to 50 in the read would match bases
1,200,030 to 1,200,050 in the reference, also on the same diagonal
1,200,030-30=1,200,000. Seed matches with the same orientation and
diagonal may be included in the same seed chain, but also seeds on
slightly different alignment diagonals may be included in the same
seed chain, such as seeds whose diagonals differ by no more than 20
or no more than 50, or some more complex rule. Allowing some
tolerance for diagonal differences is useful because reads
sometimes contain indels (insertions or deletions) with respect to
the reference, and gapped alignment such as Smith-Waterman
alignment in the aligner engine can resolve and score such indels
for a single seed chain, as long as the indels are not too large,
such as no more than 50 or 100 or 500 or 1,000 or more bases
inserted or deleted.
[0377] But RNA-seq reads often cross splice junctions, at which a
step from one read base to the next read base skips over a whole
intron in the reference, which may be thousands of bases long, or
even more than a million bases long. In such cases, seeds from one
side of the splice junction in the read will map to the reference
with dramatically different alignment diagonals from those on the
other side of the splice junction; the diagonal-integer difference
being equal to the length of the intron skipped, possibly thousands
or more than a million. Such seeds are typically not be admitted to
the same seed chain, because a gapped aligner may not be configured
to directly resolve such a long gap in the reference.
[0378] So, for RNA mapping, unlike for DNA, it is to be expected
that the true alignment of a given read may comprise multiple seed
chains, each seed chain corresponding to a different exon segment
in the read. Each candidate alignment, therefore, may include a
sequence of several seed chains. A next stage in the mapper engine
may be determining such candidate sequences of seed chains, known
herein as scaffolds.
[0379] Each scaffold, as a sequence of one or more seed chains, has
a physical interpretation as a piece-wise alignment of consecutive
exon segments of the read to corresponding exon segments in the
reference genome. As such, each seed chain in one scaffold should
typically cover only a portion of the read, these portions
progressing from the beginning of the read toward the end of the
read along the sequence of seed chains; and the seed chains'
corresponding reference segments should progress in a fixed
direction through the reference, with intervening gaps
corresponding to expected intron lengths. Each scaffold may be
passed to the aligner engine, to resolve precise alignments and
score them, and select the most likely candidate. But obtaining the
list of scaffolds from the raw list of seed chains may be
challenging.
[0380] In practice, a seed mapping for a single RNA-seq read may
yield from a small number of seed chains to dozens or more than a
hundred or a thousand seed chains. Given more than a hundred seed
chains, the number of potential seed-chain sequences is
astronomical. There is a problem, therefore, both of obtaining a
reasonably short list of scaffolds for consideration in the aligner
engine, and of determining that list of scaffolds from a given list
of seed chains in a reasonable amount of time, so as not to slow
down the mapper engine. A recursive method is herein presented for
doing this efficiently.
[0381] First, it is useful to sort seed chains in order of their
covered positions in the read, such as in increasing order of the
seed chains' start positions in the read. Seed chains may naturally
be constructed in such an order, by querying seeds in the hash
table in order from the beginning of the read to the end, and
forming them into seed chains in that same order. But if this is
not the case, or if the order is disturbed by subsequently
modifying the list of seed chains with anchored-seed mapping or
lookups of annotated splice junctions, then the seed chains may be
sorted before scaffolding, such as using a "quicksort" or other
sorting algorithm.
[0382] Next, rules may be established under which one seed chain
(B) may be allowed to immediately follow another seed chain (A) in
the same scaffold, establishing a seed-chain link from A to B.
There is considerably flexibility in rules that can work well, but
the rules should permit likely seed-chain links in a true-alignment
scaffold, while excluding as many unlikely seed-chain links as
possible. Here are various sets of rules, with various named
parameters and good default values, that may be employed.
[0383] Criteria for seed chain B to follow seed chain A in a
scaffold:
[0384] A & B have same orientation
[0385] (Gap between A & B in the
read)=:gap.ltoreq.maxSpliceGap=150
[0386] (Overlap between A & B in the
read)=:olap.ltoreq.maxSpliceOlap=16
[0387] (Gap between A start and B start in the
read)=:head.gtoreq.olap+(olapAdj=4)
[0388] (Gap between A end and B end in the
read)=:tail.gtoreq.olap+(olapAdj=4)
[0389] A/B reference gap minus A/B read
gap)=:intronLen.gtoreq.minIntronLen=20
[0390] (A/B reference gap minus A/B read
gap)=:intronLen.ltoreq.maxIntronLen=1,000,000
[0391] When annotated splice junctions are used, and an annotated
link has been recorded between seed chains A and B, then they may
be allowed to follow each other.
[0392] Here is a recursive algorithm to form multiple
scaffolds:
[0393] Sort N seed chains by start position in the read, if
necessary
[0394] Loop c0=0 to N-1
[0395] Skip c0 if already used inside any scaffold
[0396] Initialize last=0,scaf[0]=c0,start=c0+1,stack
[0]=1,stack[1]=0,stackPos=0
[0397] Loop while last .gtoreq.0
[0398] Loop c=start to N-1
[0399] If chain c can follow chan scaf[last]:
[0400] scaf[++last]=c
[0401] stack[last]=0 if stack[last]=c
[0402] Else if last>stackPos and chain c can follow chain
scaf[last-1]:
[0403] stack[last]=c
[0404] Output scaffold scaf[0. . . last]
[0405] Set stackPos=maxiumum in (0. . . last) with
stack[stackPos]>0
[0406] Set start=scaf[stackPos]+1
[0407] Set last=stackPos-1
[0408] Term and variable meanings in the algorithm:
[0409] "chain":index 0. . . N-1 of a seed chain
[0410] scaf[]=scaffold under construction, each slot getting a
chain 0. . . N-1
[0411] c0=first chain in scaffold (slot 0)
[0412] last=end slot (so far) in scaffold
[0413] start=first chain in search loop
[0414] stack[i]=highest-numbered alternative chain for scaf[i], or
0 if none. This represents the endpoint of the search for
alternatives for scaf[i]after recursion backup.
[0415] stackPos=the target scaffold slot to replace via recursion
backup. Observe that when the backup occurs stack[stackPos] is
baked in, and will not be updated unitil it is cleared.
[0416] This recursive search may be implemented in physical logic
within the mapper engine. There can be time available to execute
this algorithm without significantly slowing down the engine, using
methods of hardware parallelism. Specifically, a batch of seed
chains for a given read can be buffered for scaffolding logic to
process downstream in a processing pipeline, in parallel with seed
mapping and chaining logic processing the next read.
[0417] Recursion may occasionally get carried away, so it may be
useful to limit it. A useful way to limit recursion while also
limiting the set of scaffolds produced is to filter inferior
scaffolds as they are produced. A useful scaffold filtering method,
therefore, is presented herein. For each scaffold, its net coverage
of the read may be calculated, such as a count of read bases
covered by one or more seed chains in the scaffold. Higher coverage
scaffolds are more likely to represent the true alignment. In
particular, if the maximum read-coverage among all scaffolds formed
(so far) is tracked, then scaffolds with a large coverage delta
behind the maximum coverage are less likely to represent the true
alignment.
[0418] Also, for each scaffold, its net span in the reference
genome can be calculated, e.g., the distance between the outermost
bases in the reference of the first and last seed chains in the
scaffold. Scaffolds with very large reference spans are less likely
to represent the true alignment. Combining these two measurements
as follows is especially powerful for scaffold filtering:
filter_metric=(max_coverage-coverage)+floor(25*(log.sub.2(ref_span+2.sup.-
13)-13). The constants 25 and 13 should be configurable parameters:
rna-filt-ratio=25, and ma-span-log-min=13. Filter out all
multi-chain scaffolds where this metric exceeds a configurable
threshold, rna-max-covg-gap=150 for example. A threshold of 200
makes the filter considerably looser, and 100 considerably
tighter.
[0419] This filter can be applied to a complete or incomplete set
of finished scaffolds produced from the list of seed chains for a
given read, by tracking or calculating the maximum coverage among
all the scaffolds, and scanning the list of scaffolds, discarding
those with filter_metric>rna-max-covg-gap.
[0420] Such a filter can also be applied as recursion pruning in
the middle of scaffold formation. As each new seed chain is added
to a scaffold, an updated reference span may be noted, and also a
potential coverage, calculated by subtracting coverage gaps within
and preceding this seed chain from the read length. Using this
partial span and potential coverage, if the metric would trigger
filtering, then any longer scaffold using the current partial
scaffold as a prefix may be filtered, because reference span will
only increase and potential coverage will only decrease. Therefore,
in such instances, all recursion retaining the current partial
scaffold as a prefix can be skipped. Pruning recursion with the
scaffold filter in this manner can significantly reduce the length
of recursion to form a set of scaffolds from a long list of seed
chains.
[0421] Performance of the recursive scaffold search can also be
optimized. The recursive loops repeatedly scan the portions of the
list of seed chains, and speed of the algorithm is therefore much
better when the list of seed chains is shorter. But it is not
actually necessary to execute the recursive algorithm on the entire
list of seed chains, when some seed chains cannot possibly scaffold
with other seed chains. One way to optimize is to detect "isolated"
seed chains, which are located farther than maxIntronLen (e.g.
1,000,000 bases) from any other seed chain in the reference.
Isolated seed chains can be emitted automatically as single-chain
scaffolds, and removed from the list of seed chains before further
scaffolding, thus shortening the list of seed chains scanned during
recursion. Likewise, well-separated subsets of seed chains could be
detected, such as subsets within each chromosome, or subsets
separated by more than maxIntronLen in the reference, and the
recursive scaffolding algorithm can be executed separately on each
such subset, resulting in significantly reduced total execution
time.
[0422] A first aligner engine step for each scaffold may be to
position each splice junction, the boundary between two exon
segments (represented by two corresponding seed chains in the
scaffold). This is called "stitching" the exon segments together,
or stitching the splice junctions. More precise stitching may be
needed after seed mapping and scaffolding, because two successive
seed chains by themselves may not make clear where the true
boundary between them lies. For instance, successive seed chains
may be separated by some distance in the read, if seeds were unable
to map immediately on one or both sides of the splice junction; or
successive seed chains may overlap each other in the read,
especially if the read sequence at the end of one exon matches the
sequence at the beginning of the next exon. Even if successive seed
chains abut with no gap or overlap, it is not guaranteed that the
boundary between them lies at the true position of the splice
junction.
[0423] Splice junction stitching is thus an analysis to select the
best stitching position between successive exon segments in the
read, corresponding to the most likely splice junction position.
Two factors are useful in determining this. The first factor is
comparison of the read sequence with the left and right reference
sequences, at the two exon-segment mapping locations in the
reference genome. A given stitching position implies that read
bases left of the stitch map to the left reference region, and
reads bases right of the stitch map to the right reference region.
As a potential stitch position is moved from left to right in the
read, read bases switch their mapping as they are crossed, from the
right reference region to the left one.
[0424] As can be seen with respect to FIG. 4, the true splice
junction position is likely to have good matching between the
leftward portion of the read and the left reference region, and
between the rightward portion of the read and the right reference
region. The total number of mismatches (or SNPs) can be counted on
both sides of a potential stitch position, by comparison with the
corresponding reference region; and stitch positions with smaller
SNP counts are more likely to be true. The comparison of read
portions left and right of each stitch position is illustrated in
FIG. 4.
[0425] This SNP counting is modeled efficiently by scanning stitch
positions through a window of possible positions in the read, such
as overlapping each of the two seed chains at most some distance,
e.g., such as 48 bases. This scanning runs in the hardware aligner
engine, for example, at a speed of one position per clock cycle.
Each time the scan moves one step, such as from left to right, only
one read base switches its mapping, from the right reference region
to the left reference region. Therefore, the left sequence
comparison either gains one SNP or remains the same, and the right
sequence comparison either loses one SNP or remains the same; and
thus the net SNP count changes by -1, 0, or +1. This incremental
SNP count change for each step can be calculated by comparing one
read base (the one crossed by the stitch position step) with two
reference bases. If this incremental SNP count change is summed as
steps are taken from left to right, then the current sum can be
taken as a relative score, where the minimum score is best.
Equivalently, each matching base can be given a positive match
score, and each mismatching base a negative mismatching penalty;
and the sum of incremental score changes should be maximized for
the best stitch position.
[0426] Another factor is the intron motif implied by each stitch
position. The intron motif is defined as the first two bases and
last two bases of the skipped reference segment, or intron.
Equivalently, the motif for any potential stitch position is formed
from the first two bases after the left reference region and the
last two bases before the right reference region, as shown in FIG.
4. This implied intron motif is dependent on the stitch position,
and usually varies as the stitch position scans across the window
of possible stitch positions. Certain "canonical" intron motifs
occur much more commonly than others in natural RNA splicing. A
stitch position that corresponds to a canonical intron motif is
more likely to be the true splice junction position, especially if
it is one of the more common canonical motifs.
[0427] A table of three canonical intron motifs in human RNA is
shown in TABLE I, below. For each motif, its reverse-complement is
also shown, because in most RNA-seq protocols the reads may map
either forward or reverse-complemented with respect to the
transcribed gene strand, so although only the "forward" canonical
motif occurs in the original transcribed gene strand, its
reverse-complement can appear in RNA-seq reads. For each canonical
motif, and for the remaining class of non-canonical motifs, an
approximate frequency in human RNA splicing is shown, along with a
sample score penalty, which may be used, for example, with base
matches scoring +1 and base mismatches scoring -4.
TABLE-US-00001 TABLE I Intron Reverse- Approx. Motif Complement
Frequency Score Penalty GT/AG CT/AC 98.73% 0 GC/AG CT/GC 1.03% 10
AT/AC GT/AT 0.11% 15 250 non-canonical motifs 0.13% 25
[0428] The splice stitching module accordingly scans a potential
stitch position across a window of possible stitch locations, such
as from left to right, summing incremental score changes due to
bases switching which reference region they map to, and also
subtracting at each potential stitch position an intron motif
penalty according to the intron motif observed just after the left
reference region and just before the right reference region, and
chooses the maximum scoring position to stitch.
[0429] Additionally, certain special outcomes may be considered and
scored. Stitching at the left edge or right edge of the window of
possible stitch positions may be considered failure to stitch, and
is likely to arise when one of the two reference regions is not a
true mapping position for a read exon segment, such as when an
annotated splice junction was followed, but turns out not to be
true for this read. Left or right edge stitching can advantageously
be given a scoring bonus, such as 25 in the same exemplary scoring
scale, so that significant evidence of a true splice junction must
appear for stitching to succeed.
[0430] Also, if an annotated splice junction was identified linking
the two seed chains being stitched, the annotated junction is at a
known position within the window of possible stitch positions. As
one option, the stitching operation can be skipped, simply
accepting the annotated junction's known position. As another
option, the stitching operation can be performed, but the known
position of the annotated junction may be given a score bonus,
and/or may automatically be given the best available intron motif
penalty, or a zero penalty. As another option, in lieu of an intron
motif penalty, the known position of the annotated junction may be
given a score bonus or penalty associated with the observed
commonality or rarity of that splice junction as noted in
annotation databases. If the annotated splice junction's known
position is selected for stitching, then the stitched junction may
be flagged as in agreement with an annotated junction, so this fact
can be reported if this splice junction appears in the read's
output alignment.
[0431] Selected stitch positions can be annotated into scaffolds in
various manners. In a preferred embodiment, the constituent seed
chains of a scaffold are edited to begin and end immediately
adjacent to selected stitch positions.
[0432] Additionally, it is advantageous for the aligner engine to
make larger scaffold edits in some circumstances, based on
stitching results. If stitching fails, then the scaffold may be
truncated, or split into two scaffolds at the failure point. Also,
stitching may be attempted between non-adjacent seed chains in the
scaffold, such as skipping a single seed chain. For instance, for a
scaffold containing seed chains 1, 2, 3, and 4, splice junction
stitching should naturally be performed between the chains pairs
(1,2), (2,3), and (3,4); but in addition, stitching may be
attempted between chain pairs (1,3) and (2,4). If stitching from 1
to 3 scores better than stitching from 1 to 2 followed by 2 to 3,
then seed chain 2 may be dropped from the scaffold.
[0433] Having determined precise splice junction positions in
candidate scaffolds by stitching, corresponding complete alignments
and alignment scores can be determined for each scaffold by use of
a gapless aligner or gapped aligner (such as Smith-Waterman)
module, as herein described. For a scaffold with only a single seed
chain, this is not significantly different than alignment for DNA
reads, and the same hardware modules and methods, as herein
described, can be used. For a scaffold with multiple seed chains,
some further method may be needed to obtain a complete, possibly
spliced (containing intron operations) alignment.
[0434] One method by which complete spliced alignments can be
determined is to separately align each exon segment the read,
corresponding to each seed chain in the scaffold, to its
corresponding reference segment, with a gapless and/or gapped
aligner. This has disadvantages in when local (e.g., possibly
clipped) alignments are desired. If individual exon segment
alignments are produced without clipping, then they are not easily
assembled together into a complete spliced alignment. If individual
exon segment alignments are produced without clipping, then their
alignment scores can be examined to determine if the best overall
local alignment would clip off one or more entire exon segments,
but appropriate clipping at arbitrary locations within the exon
segments is not easily determined. It may therefore expensive to
produce both clipped and unclipped versions of each exon segment
alignment to resolve these difficulties.
[0435] One method for determining complete spliced alignments for a
multi-chain scaffold involves concatenating exon segments together
before aligning. Each aligner module--gapless or gapped--may be fed
two nucleotide sequences to align, a query (read) sequence and a
reference sequence. The concatenated query sequence may be simply
the entire read, which is the concatenation of its exon segments,
with optional clipping of the beginning or end of the read if the
first or last exon segment does not extend to the read beginning or
end.
[0436] The concatenated reference sequence is obtained by fetching
the reference genome segment that is the mapped image of each
exon-segment seed chain, and concatenating these reference segments
together. Note that for a given exon segment (seed chain), its
reference segment may be a different length than its segment of the
read, in a case where the leftmost seeds in the seed chain fell on
a somewhat different alignment diagonal than the rightmost seeds;
e.g., the seeds in the seed chain imply the presence of an indel.
In such a case, a gapped aligner should be used.
[0437] Furthermore, for gapped alignment, the first and last exon
segments of the reference sequence may be extended outward, for
example extending the first exon segment with 50 preceding
reference bases and the last exon segment with 50 following
reference bases, to provide room for deletions within the first and
last exon segments.
[0438] By concatenating the scaffold's exon segments from the read
and reference, a single concatenated query sequence and a single
concatenated reference sequence can be fed to the aligner module,
which can therefore function in much the same manner for spliced
RNA alignments as for unspliced (RNA and/or DNA) alignments.
However, some further modifications may be advantageous. First, to
determine appropriate clipping of local alignments at any position
within any exon segment, score penalties (or bonuses) may be
applied at each splice junction the alignment crosses. In a
preferred embodiment, a score penalty for each splice junction is
related to its intron motif and annotated splice junction status,
and may be the same score penalty used in splice junction
stitching.
[0439] Accordingly, an unannotated splice junction with rare or
non-canonical intron motif may have a large associated score
penalty, and one or more whole exon segments become more likely to
get clipped from the spliced alignment in order to exclude such an
unlikely splice junction, unless enough sequence matching occurs on
both sides of the splice junction to serve as convincing evidence
the splice junction is really present by overcoming its score
penalty. In a preferred embodiment, the concatenated query and
reference sequences each have a dummy base inserted between
successive exon segments, and the appropriate score penalty for
each splice junction is attached to its corresponding dummy base.
This allows the splice junction score penalties to be included
without specialized logic, and provides room for possible alignment
clipping on either side of the splice junction dummy base.
[0440] Additionally, in various instances, for gapped alignment
such as Smith-Waterman, it can be advantageous to force alignment
paths to pass through the predetermined splice junctions. In other
words, no alignment path should cross from one query exon segment
to the next without simultaneously crossing from the corresponding
reference exon segment to the next. One reason for this restriction
is that only the properly synchronized splice junction will score
properly, based on the intron motif determined during splice
junction stitching.
[0441] Another reason is that the concatenated reference sequence
has been formed using the precise reference exon segment boundaries
corresponding to the selected stitch positions of each splice
junction, so there are not additional reference bases for the
gapped aligner to adjust splice junctions freely. Furthermore, to
avoid difficult-to-interpret alignments (such as CIGAR strings with
`I` or `D` operations adjacent to `N` operations), it is desirable
to require at least one query and reference base before each
included splice junction to be "diagonally" aligned (query base
aligned to reference base, as in a CIGAR `M` operation), and at
least one query and reference base after each included splice
junction to be "diagonally" aligned. To enforce these restrictions,
the concatenated reference and query sequences are divided into
zones, which are assigned identifiers or zone IDs, such as integer
values. In one embodiment, one zone ID is assigned to each dummy
base between exon segments, another zone ID to the last base of
each exon segment preceding a splice junction (but not the final
base of the concatenated sequence), and another zone ID to all the
remaining bases of each exon segment.
[0442] For instance, for a scaffold with three exon segments (seed
chains) each 20 bases long, there could be 4 zone IDs: zone 1 for
bases 1-19 of the first exon segment, zone 2 for base 20 of the
first exon segment, zone 3 for the dummy base between the first and
second exon segments, zone 4 for bases 1-19 of the second exon
segment, zone 5 for base 20 of the second exon segment, zone 6 for
the dummy base between the second and third exon segments, and zone
7 for bases 1-20 of the third exon segment. The same zone mapping
applies to the both the concatenated query sequence and the
concatenated reference sequence, bearing in mind that corresponding
multi-base query and reference zones with the same zone ID may have
different lengths due to indels in the seed chains. Then, in the
gapless aligner, a scoring cell may be modified to allow a valid
alignment score at the intersection between identical zone IDs,
e.g., where the query zone ID matches the reference zone ID.
[0443] FIG. 5 shows the abstract alignment rectangle, with
concatenated query sequence on the vertical axis and concatenated
reference sequence on the horizontal axis. Dummy bases of each
concatenated sequence are shaded (zones 3 and 6). A grid overlays
the alignment rectangle to show the boundaries between zones on
each axis. Sub-rectangles with matching zone ID are valid alignment
regions, and other (shaded) sub-rectangles are invalid alignment
regions. A valid exemplary alignment is shown, which is end-to-end
in the query sequence, and contains an insertion (vertical segment)
in the second exon segment (zone 4), and a deletion (horizontal
segment) in the third exon segment (zone 7). The valid alignment
passes diagonally through the splice junctions (zones 3 and 6).
[0444] Gapless or gapped alignment using concatenated query and
reference sequences produces a correct alignment score, but the
alignment trace (e.g. CIGAR string) requires editing, because it
does not yet contain intron (`N`) operations. For example, a
spliced alignment of a 100-base read without indels may emerge from
alignment with CIGAR "101M", meaning 101 bases aligned diagonally
without indels. There are two adjustments needed in this CIGAR.
First, the dummy base between exon segments is counted in the
CIGAR, and should not be. Second, the intron operation, e.g. 895
bases long, needs to be inserted at the position of the dummy base.
The correct CIGAR may be "40M895N60M", for example.
[0445] Given the scaffold with comprising seed chains defining the
endpoints of the exon segments as stitched, it is straightforward
arithmetic to locate the position of each splice junction in the
CIGAR, remove "1M" for the dummy base, and replace it with an
intron operation of the proper length. For local alignments, this
process must account for the possibility that one or more whole
exon segments were clipped from the alignment. The same process of
arithmetic can calculate the correct start and end positions of the
alignment in the reference genome.
[0446] Having obtained alignment scores, start and end positions,
and CIGAR strings for each aligned scaffold, processing to select
and output the best possibly-spliced alignment is similar to DNA
processing. Paired end alignment candidates are examined to find
properly positioned and oriented alignment pairs. Alignment
candidate pairs, including non-properly-paired candidates, are
given score penalties for being unpaired or having improbably
empirical insert lengths; pair scores are formed by combining (such
as adding) alignment scores from each mate and a pairing penalty;
and the best scoring pair of alignments is chosen and output from
the aligner engine.
[0447] Apparent insert length, usually measured as the span in the
reference covered by the two mate read alignments, can appear
extremely long due to introns within either or both mates, or
unobserved introns in the gap between the mates. (Physical inserts
are potentially much shorter, being the lengths of the sequenced
RNA or cDNA molecule, where the introns are spliced out.)
Therefore, much longer apparent insert lengths must be considered
properly paired and given zero or small pairing penalties; this can
be done according to a known intron length distribution in the
sampled species, and/or the observed apparent insert distribution
in the RNA-seq data being processed.
[0448] In a preferred embodiment, for each read processed, the
alignment score, start position, and encoded CIGAR string are
output from the aligner module. In addition, in some embodiments,
for each splice junction in the alignment, its intron motif and
annotation status are output. A mapping quality or confidence, such
as a phred-scale "MAPQ" parameter, may also be estimated and
output. In various embodiments, MAPQ is estimated primarily in
proportion to the difference between the best pair score and the
second-best pair score with a different alignment for the current
read. Additional alignment candidates, or secondary alignments, may
also be output for each read, such as a limited number of other
candidates scoring within a defined or configured score difference
threshold.
[0449] It is to be understood, such as with reference to the above,
that although a mapping function may in some instances have been
described, such as with reference to a mapper, and/or an alignment
function may have in some instances been described, such as with
reference to an aligner, these different functions may be performed
sequentially by the same architecture, and although the above has
been described with reference to RNA mapping and aligning, various
of this methods and the devices for performing the same may be
employed, where it makes sense to do so, in relation to the
analysis of DNA. Accordingly, in various instances, both the
mapping function and the aligning function, as herein described may
be performed by a common architecture that may be understood to be
an aligner, especially in those instances wherein to perform an
alignment function, a mapping function need first be performed.
[0450] The output from the alignment module is a SAM (Text) or BAM
(e.g., binary version of a SAM) file along with a mapping quality
score (MAPQ), which quality score reflects the confidence that the
predicted and aligned location of the read to the reference is
actually where the read is derived. Accordingly, once it has been
determined where each read is mapped, and further determined where
each read is aligned, e.g., each relevant read has been given a
position and a quality score reflecting the probability that the
position is the correct alignment, such that the nucleotide
sequence for the subject's DNA is known as well as how the
subject's DNA differs from that of the reference (e.g., the CIGAR
string has been determined), then the various reads representing
the genomic nucleic acid sequence of the subject may be sorted by
chromosome location, so that the exact location of the read on the
chromosomes may be determined. Consequently, in some aspects, the
present disclosure is directed to a sorting function, such as may
be performed by a sorting module, which sorting module may be part
of a pipeline of modules, such as a pipeline that is directed at
taking raw sequence read data, such as form a genomic sample form
an individual, and mapping and/or aligning that data, which data
may then be sorted.
[0451] More particularly, once the reads have been assigned a
position, such as relative to the reference genome, which may
include identifying to which chromosome the read belongs and/or its
offset from the beginning of that chromosome, the reads may be
sorted by position. Sorting may be useful, such as in downstream
analyses, whereby all of the reads that overlap a given position in
the genome may be formed into a pile up so as to be adjacent to one
another, such as after being processed through the sorting module,
whereby it can be readily determined if the majority of the reads
agree with the reference value or not. Hence, where the majority of
reads do not agree with the reference value a variant call can be
flagged. Sorting, therefore, may involve one or more of sorting the
reads that align to the relatively same position, such as the same
chromosome position, so as to produce a pileup, such that all the
reads that cover the same location are physically grouped together;
and may further involve analyzing the reads of the pileup to
determine where the reads may indicate an actual variant in the
genome, as compared to the reference genome, which variant may be
distinguishable, such as by the consensus of the pileup, from an
error, such as a machine read error or error an error in the
sequencing methods which may be exhibited by a small minority of
the reads.
[0452] Once the data has been obtained there are one or more other
modules that may be run so as to clean up the data. For instance,
one module that may be included, for example, in a sequence
analysis pipeline, such as for determining the genomic sequence of
an individual, may be a local realignment module. For example, it
is often difficult to determine insertions and deletions that occur
at the end of the read. This is because the Smith-Waterman or
equivalent alignment process lacks enough context beyond the indel
to allow the scoring to detect its presence. Consequently, the
actual indel may be reported as one or more SNPs. In such an
instance, the accuracy of the predicted location for any given read
may be enhanced by performing a local realignment on the mapped
and/or aligned and/or sorted read data.
[0453] In such instances, pileups may be used to help clarify the
proper alignment, such as where a position in question is at the
end of any given read, that same position is likely to be at the
middle of some other read in the pileup. Accordingly, in performing
a local realignment the various reads in a pileup may be analyzed
so as to determine if some of the reads in the pile up indicate
that there was an insertion or a deletion at a given position where
an other read does not include the indel, or rather includes a
substitution, at that position, then the indel may be inserted,
such as into the reference, where it is not present, and the reads
in the local pileup that overlap that region may be realigned to
see if collectively a better score is achieved then when the
insertion and/or deletion was not there. Accordingly, if there is
an improvement, the whole set of reads in the pileup may be
reviewed and if the score of the overall set has improved then it
is clear to make the call that there really was an indel at that
position. In a manner such as this, the fact that there is not
enough context to more accurately align a read at the end of a
chromosome, for any individual read, may be compensated for. Hence,
when performing a local realignment, one or more pileups where one
or more indels may be positioned are examined, and it is determined
if by adding an indel at any given position the overall alignment
score may be enhanced.
[0454] Another module that may be included, for example, in a
sequence analysis pipeline, such as for determining the genomic
sequence of an individual, may be a duplicate marking module. For
instance, a duplicate marking function may be performed so as to
compensate for chemistry errors that may occur during the
sequencing phase. For example, as described above, during some
sequencing procedures nucleic acid sequences are attached to beads
and built up from there using labeled nucleotide bases. Ideally
there will be only one read per bead. However, sometimes multiple
reads become attached to a single bead and this results in an
excessive number of copies of the attached read. This phenomenon is
known as read duplication.
[0455] Such read duplication may throw off the statistics and
create a statistical bias because instead of having an equal
representation of all reads, various reads have been duplicated,
such as because of the duplicate template sequences attached to
more than one bead are over represented. Accordingly, these may be
determined because any read that aligns to the exact same position,
and has the exact same length, is likely a duplicate. Once this is
identified by the system, only one read need be subjected to
further processing and the others may be marked as duplicates and,
therefore, can be discarded or ignored. A typical situation where
this occurs is where there is not enough genetic material to
process from the very beginning and the system attempts to
overcompensate for that.
[0456] Another module that may be included, for example, in a
sequence analysis pipeline, such as for determining the genomic
sequence of an individual, may be a base quality score
recalibrater. For instance, every base of every read has a Phred
score that indicates the probability that the called base at that
position is incorrect. For example, the Phred score for any base is
due in part to the nature of the base that precedes it and the
error profile will be different depending on which base precedes
the base in question. Further, there is a greater likelihood of an
error occurring at the ends of a read, e.g., such as where at the
ends of the reads the chemistry is starting to lose its
performance. A base quality score recalibration is a covariant
analysis that may go back and measures the empirical quality of the
base quality score as a function of all those things by which it
varies.
[0457] In various instances, it involves two passes, the first
gathers all the actual, empirical measured data and statistics on
the error rate observed as a function of all the variables, and the
second pass involves the actual recalibration of the scores by
flowing all the reads through a filter modifying the quality scores
for every single base as a function of the variables based on what
was actually empirically measured in the data set. This compensates
for all the differences in the data due to the various variables
and cleans up that data and score. The purpose of all this cleanup
is to ensure the best possible variant calling is achieved. Many
variant callers base their decisions in part on the reported
quality of each of the nucleotides that pile up at each position in
the genome. If the quality scores are not accurate, there could
easily result a wrong call.
[0458] Another module that may be included, for example, in a
sequence analysis pipeline, such as for determining the genomic
sequence of an individual, may be a compression module, which
executes a compression function. As indicated above, it may be
useful at some point to take the generated and processed data and
transmit it to a remote location, such as the cloud, and hence, the
data may need to be compressed at a particular stage of processing,
whereby once compressed it may be transmitted and/or otherwise
uploaded, such as on to the cloud or to a server farm, etc., for
instance, for the performance of the variant calling module. The
results once obtained may then be decompressed and/or stored in the
memory, on a data base on the cloud, such as an electronic health
and/or research database, and the like, which in turn, can be made
available for tertiary processing, etc.
[0459] Specifically, as described above, the likelihood of a given
read being associated with a given haplotype may be calculated for
all read/haplotype combinations. In such instances, the likelihood
may be calculated using a Hidden Markov Model (HMM).
[0460] For instance, the various assembled haplotypes may be
aligned in accordance with a dynamic programming model similar to a
SW alignment. In such an instance, a virtual matrix may be
generated such as where the haplotype may be positioned on one axis
of a virtual array, and the read may be positioned on the other
axis. The matrix may then be filled out with the scores generated
by traversing the extracted paths through the graph and calculating
the probabilities that any given path is the true path. Hence, in
such an instance, a difference in this alignment protocol from a
typical SW alignment protocol is that with respect to finding the
most likely path through the array, a maximum likelihood
calculation is used, such as a calculation performed by an HMM
model that is configured to provide the total probability for
alignment of the reads to the haplotype, which HMM model may be
implemented in software or hardware or a combination of both.
Hence, an actual CIGAR strand alignment, in this instance, need not
be produced. Rather all possible alignments are considered and
their possibilities are summed. The pair HMM evaluation is resource
and time intensive, and thus, implementing its operations within a
hardwired configuration within an integrated circuit is very
advantageous.
[0461] For example, each read may be tested against each candidate
haplotype, so as to estimate a probability of observing the read
assuming the haplotype is the true representative of the original
DNA sampled. In various instances, this calculation may be
performed by evaluating a "pair hidden Markov model" (HMM), which
may be configured to model the various possible ways the haplotype
candidate might have been modified, such as by PCR or sequencing
errors, and the like, and a variation introduced into the read
observed. In such instances, the HMM evaluation, as depicted in
FIG. 6, may employ a dynamic programming method to calculate the
total probability of any series of Markov state transitions
arriving at the observed read in view of the possibility that any
divergence in the read may be the result of an error model.
Accordingly, such HMM calculations may be configured to analyze all
the possible SNPs and Indels that could have been introduced into
one or more of the reads, such as by amplification and/or
sequencing artifacts.
[0462] Particularly, PCR introduced errors can be modeled and
accounted for based on the probabilities that such errors would
occur. For instance, insertion and deletion base qualities can be
calculated at each position, such as based on the type of errors
that typically occur due to this process and the artifacts, e.g.,
tandem repeats, it routinely produces in the sequences it
generates, which information may be inserted into the array, and in
view of such respective base qualities may be adjusted. In such
instances, the HMM process may generate the probability of all the
multiplicity of all conceivable errors that could in combination
produce the same read result hypothesis, because there are very
many ways, e.g., modifications that can take place and still get to
the same answer.
[0463] More particularly, paired HMM considers in a virtual matrix
as presented in FIG. 7 all the possible alignments of the read to
the reference haplotype along with a probability associated with
each of them, where all probabilities are added up. The sum of all
of the probabilities of all the variants along a given path through
the matrix is added up to get one overarching probability for each
read. This process is then performed for every pair, for every
haplotype, read pair. For example, if there is a six pile up
cluster overlapping a given region, e.g., a region of six haplotype
candidates, and if the pile up includes about one hundred reads,
600 HMM operations will then need to be performed. More
particularly, if there are 6 haplotypes then there are going to be
6 branches through the path and the probability that each one is
the correct pathway that matches the subject's actual genetic code
for that region must be calculated. Consequently, each pathway for
all of the reads must be considered, and the probability for each
read that you would arrive at this given haplotype is to be
calculated.
[0464] The pair Hidden Markov Model is an approximate model for how
a true haplotype in the sampled DNA may transform into a possible
different detected read. It has been observed that these types of
transformations are a combination of SNPs and indels that have been
introduced into the genetic sample set by the PCR process, by one
or more of the other sample preparation steps, and/or by an error
caused by the sequencing process, and the like. As can be seen with
respect to FIG. 6, to account for these types of errors, an
underlying 3-state base model may be employed, such as where:
{M=alignment match, I=insertion, D=deletion}, further where any
transition is possible except I<->D.
[0465] As can be seen with respect to FIG. 6, the 3-state base
model transitions are not in a time sequence, but rather are in a
sequence of progression through the candidate haplotype and read
sequences, beginning at position 0 in each sequence, where the
first base is position 1. A transition to M implies position +1 in
both sequences; a transition to I implies position +1 in the read
sequence only; and a transition to D implies position +1 in the
haplotype sequence only. The same 3-state model may be configured
to underlie the Smith-Waterman and/or Needleman-Wunsch alignments,
as herein described, as well. Accordingly, such a 3-state model, as
set forth herein, may be employed in a SW and/or NW process thereby
allowing for affine gap (indel) scoring, in which gap opening
(entering the I or D state) is assumed to be less likely than gap
extension (remaining in the I or D state). Hence, in this instance,
the pair HMM can be seen as alignment, and a CIGAR string may be
produced to encode a sequence of the various state transitions.
[0466] In various instances, the 3-state base model may be
complicated by allowing the transition probabilities to vary by
position. For instance, the probabilities of all M transitions may
be multiplied by the prior probabilities of observing the next read
base given its base quality score, and the corresponding next
haplotype base. In such an instance, the base quality scores may
translate to a probability of a sequencing SNP error. When the two
bases match, the prior probability is taken as one minus this error
probability, and when they mismatch, it is taken as the error
probability divided by 3, since there are 3 possible SNP
results.
[0467] In such instances, the 3 states are no longer a true Markov
model, both because transition probabilities from a given state do
not sum to 1, and because the dependence on sequence position,
which implies a dependence on previous state transitions, and thus
violates the Markov property of dependence only on the current
state. Such a Markov property can be salvaged if one instead
considers the Markov model to have 3(N+1)(M+1) states, where N and
M are the haplotype and read lengths, and there are distinct M, I,
and D states for each haplotype/read coordinate. Further, the sum
of probabilities to 1 can be salvaged if an additional "FAIL" state
is assumed, with transition probability from each other state of
(1-MPriorProb)(MTransProb). Furthermore, the relative balance of M
transitions vs. I and D transitions also varies by position in the
read. This is according to an assumed PCR error model, in which PCR
indel errors are more likely in tandem repeat regions. Thus, there
is a preprocessing of the read sequence, examining repetitive
material surrounding each base, and deriving a local probability
for M->I and M->D transitions; M->M transitions get the
remainder (one minus the sum of these two), times the M prior.
[0468] The above discussion is regarding an abstract "Markovish"
model. In various instances, the maximum-likelihood transition
sequence may also be determined, which is termed herein as an
alignment, and may be performed using a Needleman-Wunsch or other
dynamic programming algorithm. But, in various instances, in
performing a variant calling function, as disclosed herein, the
maximum likelihood alignment, or any particular alignment, need not
be a primary concern. Rather, the total probability may be
computed, for instance, by computing the total probability of
observing the read given the haplotype, which is the sum of the
probabilities of all possible transition paths through the graph,
from read position zero at any haplotype position, to the read end
position, at any haplotype position, each component path
probability being simply the product of the various constituent
transition probabilities.
[0469] Finding the sum of pathway probabilities may also be
performed by employing a virtual array and using a dynamic
programming algorithm, as described above, such that in each cell
of a (0 . . . N).times.(0 . . . M) matrix, there are three
probability values calculated, corresponding to M, D, and I
transition states. (Or equivalently, there are 3 matrices.) The top
row (read position zero) of the matrix may be initialized to
probability 1.0 in the D states, and 0.0 in the I and M states; and
the rest of the left column (haplotype position zero) may be
initialized to all zeros. (In software, the initial D probabilities
may be set near the double-precision max value, e.g. 2 1020, so as
to avoid underflow, but this factor may be normalized out
later.)
[0470] In such an instance, setting the D probability 1 in the top
row has the effect of allowing the alignment to begin anywhere in
the haplotype. It may also position an initial M transition into
the second row, rather than permitting I transitions into the
second row. Typically, I transitions may be permitted in the bottom
row. In various instances, the initial 1.0 values may be put in M
slots of the top row. Each other cell, however, may have its 3
probabilities computed from its 3 adjacent neighboring cells:
above, left, and above-left. These 9 input probabilities may then
contribute to the 3 result probabilities according to the state
transition probabilities, and the sequence movement rules:
transition to D horizontally, to I vertically, and to M
diagonally.
[0471] This 3-to-1 computation dependency restricts the order that
cells may be computed. They can be computed left to right in each
row, progressing through rows from top to bottom, or top to bottom
in each column, progressing rightward. Additionally, they may be
computed in anti-diagonal wavefronts, where the next step is to
compute all cells (n,m) where n+m equals the incremented step
number. This wavefront order has the advantage that all cells in
the anti-diagonal may be computed independently of each other. The
bottom row of the matrix then, at the final read position, may be
configured to represent the completed alignments. In such an
instance, the Haplotype Caller will work by summing the I and M
probabilities of all bottom row cells. In various embodiments, the
system may be set up so that no D transitions are permitted within
the bottom row, or a D transition probability of 0.0 may be used
there, so as to avoid double counting.
[0472] As described herein, in various instances, each HMM
evaluation may operate on a sequence pair, such as on a haplotype
and a read pair. For instance, within a given active region, each
of a set of haplotypes may be HMM-evaluated vs. each of a set of
reads. In such an instance, the hardware input bandwidth may be
reduced and/or minimized by transferring the set of reads and the
set of haplotypes once, and letting HW generate the N.times.M pair
operations. In certain instances, Smith-Waterman may be configured
to queue up individual HMM operations, each with its own copy of
read and haplotype data. This has the advantage of simplicity, low
memory requirements, and flexibility if there is a need to perform
other than precisely the N.times.M possible pairs.
[0473] There are three parallel multiplications (e.g., additions in
log space), then two serial additions (.about.5-6 stage
approximation pipelines), then an additional multiplication. In
such an instance, the full pipeline may be about L=12-16 cycles
long. The I & D calculations may be about half the length. The
pipeline may be fed a multiplicity of input probabilities, such as
2 or 3 or 5 or 7 or more input probabilities each cycle, such as
from one or more already computed neighboring cells (M and/or D
from the left, M and/or I from above, and/or M and/or I and/or D
from above-left). It may also include one or more haplotype bases,
and/or one or more read bases such as with associated parameters,
e.g., pre-processed parameters, each cycle. It outputs the M &
I & D result set for one cell each cycle, after fall-through
latency.
[0474] To keep the pipeline full, L independent cell calculations
should be in progress at any one time. As can be seen with respect
to FIG. 7, these could of course be from separate HMM matrices 30,
but it is efficient for them to be along an anti-diagonal wavefront
35.
[0475] As can be seen with respect to FIG. 8, a difficulty is that
the inputs to the pipeline for a new cell to compute come from one
or more of its neighboring cells, such as its two or three
neighboring cells of the matrix 30, such as depicted in FIG. 7.
[0476] In various instances, these neighboring cells in the matrix
30 can be computed as a variable, however such computations take a
long time, which can become an issue with the time taken for
storing and retrieving such intermediate results data. As can be
seen with respect to FIG. 8, a single cell in a matrix 30 pipeline
can be configured such as by employing a horizontal swath of
processing engines of one row high for each pipeline stage. In such
an instance, the pipeline can follow an anti-diagonal within the
swath, wrapping from the bottom to top of the swath, and wrapping
the swath itself when the right edge of the matrix is reached, as
depicted FIG. 9.
[0477] The advantage of this configuration is that the 3
neighboring cells employed for a new calculation of an instant
neighboring cell have recently been computed prior to computing the
neighboring cell in the matrix 30, such as a fixed number of cycles
ago, as depicted in the FIG. 10.
[0478] In various instances, current outputs at the pipeline's end
are from a cell begun L cycles ago, so any time delays may be
shortened by L, as depicted in FIG. 11.
[0479] In various instances, there may be a delay, such as a one or
more cycle delay, which delay may be just a register slice, such as
where the L+1 delay may be a shift register or a shallow circular
buffer. Results at the bottom of the swath may be stored in a local
memory, and may be re-injected into the pipeline each time the
position wraps vertically in the next swath. Dead cycles may or may
not be required while the pipeline is wrapping horizontally from
one swath to the next. For instance, if the input feed is
controlled carefully, and left-column nulls are injected in the
right clock cycles, a pipeline anti-diagonal in progress should be
able to straddle between the right end of one swath and the left
end of the next.
[0480] Further, in various instances, multiple cell computing
pipelines can be configured to cooperate so as to achieve a high
overall throughput. For example, there are .about.65T cells that
may be configured to compute for a whole genome, such as in a
target of 15 minutes on the high-end. In such an instance, the
pipelines can compute one cell per cycle at 300 MHz, and in such an
instance 240 pipelines could be employed, which are a lot of
pipelines. Theoretically, each of them could be working on a
separate HMI matrix 30, however, the amount of overhead logic to
manage each matrix 30 will require additional resources, especially
in the hardwired configuration, such as up to being multiplied by
240. In various instances, either of memory or logic could be a
limiting factor. In such an instance, efficiency in the system may
be enhanced such as by employing several pipelines that may be
configured to cooperate with one another, so as to finish a single
matrix 30 faster--if needed substantial management logic can be
amortized.
[0481] To overcome any such limitations, the swath 35 cell order,
as described above may be organized to make it easier for multiple
pipelines to work on a single matrix. For instance, N pipelines
could be configured to work on N swaths at a time, wherein each
stays behind the compute wavefront 35 in the swath above. In such
an instance, adjacent-swath 35.sub.n pipelines may be configured so
as to be synchronized, so that the lower one receives bottom-row
results from the upper one at just the right moment, cutting down
on memory requirements. To avoid N*L dead cycles at the start of
each new matrix 35.sub.n, pipelines finishing their final swaths 35
in one matrix 30a can be configured to roll straight into upper
swaths of the next matrix 30b.
[0482] Further, as illustrated in FIG. 12 is a histogram of HMM
table dimensions, for 101-base reads. The left-to-right axis is
haplotype length, the front-to-back axis is read length, and the
vertical axis is log count.
[0483] From the high wall at the back, you can see the most common
case by far is for the whole 101-base read to be used. This case
represents about 35%, and the balance is distributed near evenly
among lengths 10-100. The processed read length was not less than
10, in this instance. The high wall on the left is at haplotype
length 41, about 5.4% of cases. Very few haplotypes were shorter,
and the shortest was 9 bases. The longest haplotypes were 515
bases. The central plateau, from 136 bases to 349 bases, represents
87% of cases. The diagonal wall at the back-left is where haplotype
length equals read length. Typically, the read sequence for HMM is
clipped to the window length spanned by the haplotype, so it is
rare for the read to be longer than the haplotype, and equal
lengths are common. This distribution of matrix dimensions may
contribute to a well-performing architecture, particularly if there
are inefficiencies from dead cycles between matrices or swaths,
uneven swath coverage, and the like.
[0484] In performing a variant call function, as disclosed herein,
a De Bruijn Graph may be formulated, and when all of the reads in a
pile up are identical, the DBG will be linear. However, where there
are differences, the graph will form "bubbles" that are indicative
of regions of differences resulting in multiple paths diverging
from matching the reference alignment and then later re-joining in
matching alignment. From this DBG, various paths may be extracted,
which form candidate haplotypes, e.g., hypotheses for what the true
DNA sequence may be on at least one strand, which hypotheses may be
tested by performing an HMM, or modified HMM, operation on the
data. Further still, a genotyping function may be employed such as
where the possible diploid combinations of the candidate haplotypes
may be formed, and for each of them, a conditional probability of
observing the entire read pileup may be calculated. These results
may then be fed into a Bayesian formula to calculate an absolute
probability that each genotype is the truth, given the entire read
pileup observed.
[0485] Hence, in accordance with the devices, systems, and methods
of their use described herein, in various instances, a genotyping
operation may be performed, which genotyping operation may be
configured so as to be implemented in an optimized manner in
software and/or in hardware. For instance, the possible diploid
combinations of the candidate haplotypes may be formed, and for
each combination, a conditional probability of observing the entire
read pileup may be calculated, such as by using the constituent
probabilities of observing each read given each haplotype from the
pair HMM evaluation. The results of these calculations feed into a
Bayesian formula so as to calculate an absolute probability that
each genotype is the truth, given the entire read pileup
observed.
[0486] Accordingly, in various aspects, the present disclosure is
directed to a system for performing a haplotype or variant call
operation on generated and/or supplied data so as to produce a
variant call file with respect thereto. Specifically, as described
herein above, in particular instances, a variant call file may be a
digital or other such file that encodes the difference between one
sequence and another, such as a the difference between a sample
sequence and a reference sequence. Specifically, in various
instances, the variant call file may be a text file that sets forth
or otherwise details the genetic and/or structural variations in a
person's genetic makeup as compared to one or more reference
genomes.
[0487] For instance, a haplotype may be a set of genetic, e.g., DNA
and/or RNA, variations, such as polymorphisms that reside in a
person's chromosomes and as such may be passed on to offspring and
thereby inherited together. Particularly, a haplotype can refer to
a combination of alleles, e.g., one of a plurality of alternative
forms of a gene such as may arise by mutation, which allelic
variations are typically found at the same place on a chromosome.
Hence, in determining the identity of a person's genome it is
important to know which form of various different possible alleles
a specific person's genetic sequence codes for. In particular
instances, a haplotype may refer to one or more, e.g., a set, of
nucleotide polymorphisms (e.g., SNPs) that may be found at the same
position on the same chromosome.
[0488] Typically, in various embodiments, in order to determine the
genotype, e.g., allelic haplotypes, for a subject, as described
herein and above, a software based algorithm is engaged, such as an
algorithm employing a haplotype call program, e.g., GATK, for
simultaneously determining SNPs and/or insertions and/or deletions,
i.e., indels, in an individual's genetic sequence. In particular,
the algorithm may involve one or more haplotype assembly protocols
such as for local de-novo assembly of a haplotype in one or more
active regions of the genetic sequence being processed. Such
processing typically involves the deployment of a processing
function called a Hidden Markov Model (HMM) that is a stochastic
and/or statistical model used to exemplify randomly changing
systems such as where it is assumed that future states within the
system depend only on the present state and not on the sequence of
events that precedes it.
[0489] In such instances, the system being modeled bears the
characteristics or is otherwise assumed to be a Markov process with
unobserved (hidden) states. In particular instances, the model may
involve a simple dynamic Bayesian network. Particularly, with
respect to determining genetic variation, in its simplest form,
there is one of four possibilities for the identity of any given
base in a sequence being processed, such as when comparing a
segment of a reference sequence, e.g., a hypothetical haplotype,
and that of a subject's DNA or RNA, e.g., a read derived from a
sequencer. However, in order to determine such variation, in a
first instance, a subject's DNA/RNA must be sequenced, e.g., via a
Next Gen Sequencer ("NGS"), to produce a readout or "reads" that
identify the subject's genetic code. Next, once the subject's
genome has been sequenced to produce one or more reads, the various
reads, representative of the subject's DNA and/or RNA need to be
mapped and/or aligned, as herein described above in great detail.
The next step in the process then is to determine how the genes of
the subject that have just been determined, e.g., having been
mapped and/or aligned, vary from that of a prototypical reference
sequence. In performing such analysis, therefore, it is assumed
that the read potentially representing a given gene of a subject is
a representation of the prototypical haplotype albeit with various
SNPs and/or indels that are to presently be determined.
[0490] Accordingly, there exist commonly used software
implementations for performing one or a series of such
bioinformatics based analytical techniques so as to determine the
various different genetic variations a subject may have in his or
her genome. However, a common characteristic of such software based
bioinformatics methods and systems employed for these purposes is
that they are labor intensive, take a long time to execute on
general purpose processors, and are prone to errors. A
bioinformatics system, therefore, that could perform the algorithms
or functions implemented by such software, e.g., various variant
call functions, in a less labor and/or processing intensive manner
with a greater percentage accuracy would be useful. However, the
cost of analyzing, storing, and sharing this raw digital data has
far outpaced the cost of producing it. This data analysis
bottleneck is a key obstacle standing between these ever-growing
raw data and the real medical insight we seek from it. The devices,
systems, and methods of using the same, as presented herein,
resolves these and other such needs in the art. Additionally,
employing general purpose CPUs to perform specialized, repetitive
mathematical computations are bulky, costly, and inefficient. So
too, the power consumption, computation time, and physical
footprint of an array of servers programmed to perform the HMM
computations associated with the genome variant call operations, as
disclosed herein, will all be undesirable compared to the traits of
a system that performs such computations within a purpose-built,
highly parallel microchip that is the subject of this
disclosure.
[0491] Specifically, in particular aspects, devices, systems,
and/or methods for practicing the same, such as for performing a
haplotype and/or variant call function, such as deploying an HMM
function, for instance, in an accelerated haplotype caller is
provided. In various instances, in order to overcome these and
other such various problems known in the art, the HMM accelerator
herein presented may be configured to be operated in a manner so as
to be implemented in software, implemented in hardware, or a
combination of being implemented and/or otherwise controlled in
part by software and/or in part by hardware. For instance, in a
particular aspect, the disclosure is directed to a method by which
data pertaining to the DNA and/or RNA sequence identity of a
subject and/or how the subject's genetic information may differ
from that of a reference genome may be determined.
[0492] In such an instance, the method may be performed by the
implementation of a haplotype or variant call function, such as
employing an HMM protocol. Particularly, the HMM function may be
performed in hardware, such as on an accelerated device, in
accordance with a method described herein. In such an instance, the
hardware based HMI accelerator may be configured to receive and
process the sequenced, mapped, and/or aligned data, to process the
same, e.g., to produce a variant call file, as well as to transmit
the processed data back throughout the system. Accordingly, the
method may include deploying a system where data may be sent from a
processor, such as a software-controlled CPU, to a haplotype caller
implementing an accelerated HMM, which haplotype caller may be
deployed on a microprocessor chip, such as an FPGA, ASIC, or
structured ASIC. The method may further include the steps for
processing the data to produce HMI result data, which results may
then be fed back to the CPU.
[0493] Particularly, in one embodiment, as can be seen with respect
to FIG. 13, a variant call system 1 is provided. Specifically, FIG.
13 provides a high level view of an HMM interface structure. In
particular embodiments, the variant call system 1 is configured to
accelerate at least a portion of a variant call operation, such as
an HMI operation. Hence, in various instances, a variant call
system may be referenced herein as an HMI system 1. The system 1
includes a server having one or more central processing units (CPU)
1000 configured for performing one or more routines related to the
sequencing and/or processing of genetic information.
[0494] Additionally, the system 1 includes a peripheral device 2,
such as an expansion card, that includes a microchip 7, such as an
FPGA, ASIC, or sASIC. It is to be noted that the term ASIC may
refer equally to a sASIC, where appropriate. The peripheral device
2 includes an interconnect 3 and a bus interface 4, such as a
parallel or serial bus, which connects the CPU 1000 with the chip
7. For instance, the device 2 may comprise a peripheral component
interconnect, such as a PCI, PCI-X, PCIe, or QPI, and may include a
bus interface 4, that is adapted to operably and/or communicably
connect the CPU 1000 to the peripheral device 2, such as for low
latency, high data transfer rates. Accordingly, in particular
instances, the interface may be a peripheral component interconnect
express (PCIe) 4 that is associated with the microchip 7, which
microchip includes an HMM accelerator 8. For example, in particular
instances, the HMM accelerator 8 is configured for performing an
accelerated HMM function, such as where the HMM function, in
certain embodiments, may at least partially be implemented in the
hardware of the FPGA, AISC, or sASIC.
[0495] Specifically, FIG. 13 presents a high-level figure of an HMM
accelerator 8 having an exemplary organization of one or more
engines 13, such as a plurality of processing engines
13a-13.sub.m+1, for performing one or more processes of a variant
call function, such as including an HMM task. Accordingly, the HMM
accelerator 8 may be composed of a data distributor 9, e.g.,
CentCom, and one or a multiplicity of processing clusters
11-11.sub.n+1 that may be organized as or otherwise include one or
more instances 13, such as where each instance may be configured as
a processing engine, such as a small engine 13a-13.sub.m+1. For
instance, the distributor 9 may be configured for receiving data,
such as from the CPU 1000, and distributing or otherwise
transferring that data to one or more of the multiplicity of HMM
processing clusters 11.
[0496] Particularly, in certain embodiments, the distributor 9 may
be positioned logically between the on-board PCIe interface 4 and
the HMM accelerator module 8, such as where the interface 4
communicates with the distributor 9 such as over an interconnect or
other suitably configured bus 5, e.g., PCIe bus. The distributor
module 9 may be adapted for communicating with one or more HMM
accelerator clusters 11 such as over one or more cluster buses 10.
For instance, the HMM accelerator module 8 may be configured as or
otherwise include an array of clusters 11a-11.sub.n+1, such as
where each HMM cluster 11 may be configured as or otherwise
includes a cluster hub 11 and/or may include one or more instances
13, which instance may be configured as a processing engine 13 that
is adapted for performing one or more operations on data received
thereby. Accordingly, in various embodiments, each cluster 11 may
be formed as or otherwise include a cluster hub 11a-11.sub.n+1,
where each of the hubs may be operably associated with multiple HMM
accelerator engine instances 13a-13.sub.m+1, such as where each
cluster hub 11 may be configured for directing data to a plurality
of the processing engines 13a-13.sub.m+1 within the cluster 11.
[0497] In various instances, the HMM accelerator 8 is configured
for comparing each base of a subject's sequenced genetic code, such
as in read format, with the various known haplotypes of a reference
sequence and determining the probability that any given base at a
position being considered either matches or doesn't match the
relevant haplotype, i.e., the read includes an SNP, an insertion,
or a deletion, thereby resulting in a variation of the base at the
position being considered. Particularly, in various embodiments,
the HMM accelerator 8 is configured to assign transition
probabilities for the sequence of the bases of the read going
between each of these states, Match ("M"), Insert ("I"), or Delete
("D") as described in greater detail herein below.
[0498] More particularly, dependent on the configuration, the HMM
acceleration function may be implemented in either software, such
as by the CPU 1000 and/or microchip 7, and/or may be implemented in
hardware and may be present within the microchip 7, such as
positioned on the peripheral expansion card or board 2. In various
embodiments, this functionality may be implemented partially as
software, e.g., run by the CPU 1000, and partially as hardware,
implemented on the chip 7. Accordingly, in various embodiments, the
chip 7 may be present on the motherboard of the CPU 1000, or it may
be part of the peripheral device 2, or both. Consequently, the HMM
accelerator module 8 may include or otherwise be associated with
various interfaces, e.g., 3, 5, 10, and/or 12 so as to allow the
efficient transfer of data to and from the processing engines
13.
[0499] Accordingly, as can be seen with respect to FIG. 13, in
various embodiments, a microchip 7 configured for performing a
variant, e.g., haplotype, call function is provided. The microchip
7 may be associated with a CPU 1000 such as directly coupled
therewith, e.g., included on the motherboard of a computer, or
indirectly coupled thereto, such as being included as part of a
peripheral device 2 that is operably coupled to the CPU 1000, such
as via one or more interconnects, e.g., 3, 4, 5, 10, and/or 12. In
this instance, the microchip 7 is present on the peripheral device
2.
[0500] Hence, the peripheral device 2 may include a parallel or
serial expansion bus 4 such as for connecting the peripheral device
2 to the central processing unit (CPU) 1000 of a computer and/or
server, such as via an interface 3, e.g., DMA. In particular
instances, the peripheral device 2 and/or serial expansion bus 4
may be a Peripheral Component Interconnect express (PCIe) that is
configured to communicate with or otherwise include the microchip
7, such as via connection 5. As described herein, the microchip 7
may at least partially be configured as or may otherwise include an
HMM accelerator 8. The HMM accelerator 8 may be configured as part
of the microchip 7, e.g., as hardwired and/or as code to be run in
association therewith, and is configured for performing a variant
call function, such as for performing one or more operations of a
Hidden Markov Model, on data supplied to the microchip 7 by the CPU
1000, such as over the PCIe interface 4. Likewise, once one or more
variant call functions have been performed, e.g., one or more HMM
operations run, the results thereof may be transferred from the HMM
accelerator 8 of the chip 7 over the bus 4 to the CPU 1000, such as
via connection 3.
[0501] For instance, in particular instances, a CPU 1000 for
processing and/or transferring information and/or executing
instructions is provided along with a microchip 7 that is at least
partially configured as an HMM accelerator 8. The CPU 1000
communicates with the microchip 7 over an interface 5 that is
adapted to facilitate the communication between the CPU 1000 and
the HMM accelerator 8 of the microchip 7 and therefore may
communicably connect the CPU 1000 to the HMM accelerator 8 that is
part of the microchip 7. To facilitate these functions, the
microchip 7 includes a distributor module 9, which may be a
CentCom, that is configured for transferring data to a multiplicity
of HMM engines 13, e.g., via one or more clusters 11, where each
engine 13 is configured for receiving and processing the data, such
as by running an HMM protocol thereon, computing final values,
outputting the results thereof, and repeating the same. In various
instances, the performance of an HMM protocol may include
determining one or more transition probabilities, as described
herein below. Particularly, each HMM engine 13 may be configured
for performing a job such as including one or more of the
generating and/or evaluating of an HMM virtual matrix to produce
and output a final sum value with respect thereto, which final sum
expresses the probable likelihood that the called base matches or
is different from a corresponding base in a hypothetical haplotype
sequence, as described herein below.
[0502] FIG. 14 presents a detailed depiction of the HMM cluster 11
of FIG. 13. In various embodiments, each HMM cluster 11 includes
one or more HMM instances 13. One or a number of clusters may be
provided, such as desired in accordance with the amount of
resources provided, such as on the chip. Particularly, a HMM
cluster may be provided, where the cluster is configured as a
cluster hub 11. The cluster hub 11 takes the data pertaining to one
or more jobs 20 from the distributor 9, and is further communicably
connected to one or more, e.g., a plurality of, HMM instances 13,
such as via one or more HMI instance busses 12, to which the
cluster hub 11 transmits the job data 20.
[0503] The bandwidth for the transfer of data throughout the system
may be relatively low bandwidth process, and once a job 20 is
received, the system 1 may be configured for completing the job,
such as without having to go off chip 7 for memory. In various
embodiments, one job 20a is sent to one processing engine 13a at
any given time, but several jobs 20.sub.a-n may be distributed by
the cluster hub 11 to several different processing engines
13a-13.sub.m+1, such as where each of the processing engines 13
will be working on a single job 20, e.g., a single comparison
between one or more reads and one or more haplotype sequences, in
parallel and at high speeds. As described below, the performance of
such a job 20 may typically involve the generation of a virtual
matrix whereby the subject's "read" sequences may be compared to
one or more, e.g., two, hypothetical haplotype sequences, so as to
determine the differences there between. In such instances, a
single job 20 may involve the processing of one or more matrices
having a multiplicity of cells therein that need to be processed
for each comparison being made, such as on a base by base basis. As
the human genome is about 3 billion base pairs, there may be on the
order of 1 to 2 billion different jobs to be performed when
analyzing a 30.times. oversampling of a human genome (which is
equitable to about 20 trillion cells in the matrices of all
associated HMI jobs).
[0504] Accordingly, as described herein, each HMI instance 13 may
be adapted so as to perform an HMI protocol, e.g., the generating
and processing of an HMM matrix, on sequence data, such as data
received thereby from the CPU 1000. For example, as explained
above, in sequencing a subject's genetic material, such as DNA, the
DNA is broken down into segments, such as up to about 100 bases in
length. The identity of these 100 base segments are then
determined, such as by an automated sequencer, and "read" into a
FASTQ text based file format that stores both each base identity of
the read along with a Phred quality score (e.g., typically a number
between 0 and 63 in log scale, where a score of 0 indicates the
least amount of confidence that the called base is correct, with
scores between 20 to 45 generally being acceptable as relatively
accurate).
[0505] Particularly, as indicated above, a Phred quality score is a
quality indicator that measures the quality of the identification
of the nucleobase identities generated by the sequencing processor,
e.g., by the automated DNA/RNA sequencer. Hence, each read base
includes its own quality, e.g., Phred, score based on what the
sequencer evaluated the quality of that specific identification to
be. The Phred represents the confidence with which the sequencer
estimates that it got the called base identity correct. This Phred
score is then used by the implemented HMM module 8, as described in
detail below, to further determine the accuracy of each called base
in the read as compared to the haplotype to which it has been
mapped and/or aligned, such as by determining its Match, Insertion,
and/or Deletion transition probabilities, e.g., in and out of the
Match state. It is to be noted that in various embodiments, the
system 1 may modify or otherwise adjust the initial Phred score
prior to the performance of an HMM protocol thereon, such as by
taking into account neighboring bases/scores and/or fragments of
neighboring DNA and allowing such factors to influence the Phred
score of the base, e.g., cell, under examination.
[0506] In such instances, as can be seen with respect to FIG. 15,
the system 1, e.g., computer software, may determine and identify
various active regions 500.sub.n within the sequenced genome that
may be explored and/or otherwise subjected to further processing as
herein described, which may be broken down into jobs 20n that may
be parallelized amongst the various cores and available threads
1007 throughout the system 1. For instance, such active regions 500
may be identified as being sources of variation between the
sequenced and reference genomes. Particularly, the CPU 1000 may
have multiple threads 1007 running, identifying active regions
500a, 500b, and 500c, compiling and aggregating various different
jobs 20.sub.n to be worked on, e.g., via a suitably configured
aggregator 1008, based on the active region(s) 500a-c currently
being examined. Any suitable number of threads 1007 may be employed
so as to allow the system 1 to run at maximum efficiency, e.g., the
more threads present the less active time spent waiting.
[0507] Once identified, compiled, and/or aggregated, the threads
1007/1008 will then transfer the active jobs 20 to the data
distributor 9, e.g., CentCom, of the HMM module 8, such as via PCIe
interface 4, e.g., in a fire and forget manner, and will then move
on to a different process while waiting for the HMM 8 to send the
output data back so as to be matched back up to the corresponding
active region 500 to which it maps and/or aligns. The data
distributor 9 will then distribute the jobs 20 to the various
different HMM clusters 11, such as on a job-by-job manner. If
everything is running efficiently, this may be on a first in first
out format, but such does not need to be the case. For instance, in
various embodiments, raw jobs data and processed job results data
may be sent through and across the system as they become
available.
[0508] Particularly, as can be seen with respect to FIG. 15, the
various job data 20 may be aggregated into 4K byte pages of data,
which may be sent via the PCIe 4 to and through the CentCom 9 and
on to the processing engines 13, e.g., via the clusters 11. The
amount of data being sent may be more or less than 4K bytes, but
will typically include about 100 HMM jobs per 4K (e.g., 1024) page
of data. Particularly, these data then get digested by the data
distributor 9 and are fed to each cluster 11, such as where one 4K
page is sent to one cluster 11. However, such need not be the case
as any given job 20 may be sent to any given cluster 11, based on
the clusters that become available and when. Accordingly, as can be
seen with respect to FIGS. 17 and 18, each job 20 may have a job ID
that accompany each job, which job ID flows through the overall
process substantially unmodified so the system, e.g., software
and/or hardware, can use those identifications so that it can be
maintained to which active region 500 each particular job 20 and/or
result refers.
[0509] Accordingly, the cluster 11 approach as presented here
efficiently distributes incoming data to the processing engines 13
at high-speed. Specifically, as data arrives at the PCIe interface
4 from the CPU 1000, e.g., over DMA connection 3, the received data
may then be sent over the PCIe bus 5 to the CentCom distributor 9
of the variant caller microchip 7. The distributor 9 then sends the
data to one or more HMM processing clusters 11, such as over one or
more cluster dedicated buses 10, which cluster 11 may then transmit
the data to one or more processing instances 13, e.g., via one or
more instance buses 12, such as for processing. In this instance,
the PCIe interface 4 is adapted to provide data through the
peripheral expansion bus 5, distributor 9, and/or cluster 10 and/or
instance 12 busses at a rapid rate, such as at a rate that can keep
one or more, e.g., all, of the HMM accelerator instances
13.sub.a-(m+1) within one or more, e.g., all, of the HMM clusters
11.sub.a-(n+1) busy, such as over a prolonged period of time, e.g.,
full time, during the period over which the system 1 is being run,
the jobs 20 are being processed, and whilst also keeping up with
the output of the processed HMM data that is to be sent back to one
or more CPUs 1000, over the PCIe interface 4.
[0510] For instance, any inefficiency in the interfaces 3, 5, 10,
and/or 12 that leads to idle time for one or more of the HMM
accelerator instances 13 may directly add to the overall processing
time of the system 1. Particularly, when analyzing a human genome,
there may be on the order of two or more billion different jobs 20
that need to be distributed to the various HMM clusters 11 and
processed over the course of a time period, such as under 1 hour,
under 45 minutes, under 30 minutes, under 20 minutes including 15
minutes, 10 minutes, 5 minutes, or less.
[0511] For example, each typical job 20 may have on the order of a
few hundred bytes of write data associated with it. In such an
instance, the total amount of write data may be on the order of
several hundred Gigabytes to one or more thousand of Gigabytes,
such as over 1 Terabyte of data, such as over the course of
processing a whole genome. However, in an instance such as this,
the data to be fed back to the CPU 1000 may be as little as
16-bytes per job 20. Hence, there is a need for efficient data
distribution and collection, which need may not arise as much from
the amount of data (.about.1.1 Gbyte/s average write rate,
.about.64 Mbyte/s average read rate), as from the requirement that
the data be sliced up and parsed out to (or collected from) one or
more of the various parallel jobs 20 being performed by the one or
more clusters 11 and/or one or more instances 13.
[0512] More particularly, if it is assumed that 200 MHz is the
speed of the clock associated with the Cluster Buses 10 and a data
width of 32 bits is moving through the bus of each HMM cluster 11
during each clock cycle, as described in detail below, then
something on the order of six HMM clusters 11a-f will provide a
data write data bandwidth capability that exceeds the .about.1.1
GB/sec average requirement, such as by a factor of four, or
greater. Accordingly, in one exemplary embodiment, an initial
configuration for the Cluster Buses 10 may involve a 200 MHz clock
and data transfer rate as well as six HMM clusters 11a-f. However,
as routing and/or throughput requirements evolve, the number of
clusters 11 or the speed for the Cluster Buses 10 may be adjusted,
so the cluster count and Cluster Bus 10 speed be may be
parametrize-able so as to meet evolving needs.
[0513] Accordingly, FIGS. 14 and 15 sets forth an overview of the
data flow throughout the software and/or hardware of the system 1,
as described generally above. As can be seen with respect to FIGS.
14 and 15, the system 1 may be configured in part to transfer data,
such as between the PCIe interface 4 and the distributor 9, e.g.,
CentCom, such as over the PCIe bus 5. Additionally, the system 1
may further be configured in part to transfer the received data,
such as between the distributor 9 and the one or more HMM clusters
11, such as over the one or more cluster buses 10. Hence, in
various embodiments, the HMM accelerator 8 may include one or more
clusters 11, such as one or more clusters 11 configured for
performing one or more processes of an HMM function. In such an
instance, there is an interface, such as a cluster bus 10, that
connects the CentCom 9 to the HMM cluster 11.
[0514] For instance, FIGS. 14 and 16 is a high level diagram
depicting the interface in to and out of the HMM module 8, such as
into and out of a cluster module. As can be seen with respect to
FIG. 16, each HMM cluster 11 may be configured to communicate with,
e.g., receive data from and/or send final result data, e.g., sum
data, to the CentCom data distributor 9 through a dedicated cluster
bus 10. Particularly, any suitable interface or bus 5 may be
provided so long as it allows the PCIe interface 4 to communicate
with the data distributor 9. More particularly, the bus 5 may be an
interconnect that includes the interpretation logic useful in
talking to the data distributor 9, which interpretation logic may
be configured to accommodate any protocol employed to provide this
functionality. Specifically, in various instances, the interconnect
may be configured as a PCIe bus 5. Additionally, the cluster 11 may
be configured such that single or multiple clock domains may be
employed therein, and hence, one or more clocks may be present
within the cluster 11. In particular instances, multiple clock
domains will be provided. For example, a slower clock may be
provided, such as for communications, e.g., to and from the cluster
11. Additionally, a faster, e.g., a high speed, clock may be
provided which may be employed by the HMM instances 13 for use in
performing the various state calculations described herein.
[0515] Particularly, in various embodiments, as can be seen with
respect to FIG. 16, the system 1 may be set up such that, in a
first instance, as the data distributor 9 leverages the existing
CentCom IP, a collar, such as a gasket, may be provided, where the
gasket is configured for translating signals to and from the
CentCom interface 5 from and to the HMM cluster interface or bus
10. For instance, an HMM cluster bus 10 may communicably and/or
operably connect the CPU 1000 to the various clusters 11 of the HMM
accelerator module 8.
[0516] Hence, as can be seen with respect to FIG. 16, structured
write and/or read data for each haplotype and/or for each read may
be sent throughout the system 1. Particularly, as can be seen with
respect to FIG. 17, an exemplary write data structure 22 is
provided, such as where the data structure may include one or more,
e.g., a plurality, of 32 bit words, such as on a top layer that
function as control words and/or contain the haplotype length
and/or other control data, e.g., in the reserved area. The next
layer of data may also be a 32 bit word such as includes the
haplotype ID, which ID may be used by the system software to take
the output results and correlate them back to where it came from in
the associated active region being processed. With respect to
analyzing the haplotype sequence, 8-four bit bases may be provided
for each 32 bit word, and two haplotype sequences may be analyzed
at a given time, e.g., thereby filling layers 3 and 4 of the data
structure. It is to be noted that the word layers need not be 32
bits, but in various instances, the use of a 32-bit word may be
particularly efficient.
[0517] Accordingly, with respect to the transfer of write data, one
or more, e.g., each, HMM engine instance 13 within or otherwise
associated with the HMM cluster hub 11 may be configured to include
or otherwise be operably connected with one, two, or more separate
one or two-port memories, such as 1 read port and/or 1 write port
memory. These memories may be a HMEM 16 and/or an RMEM 18, such as
where each memory includes both a read and a write port. FIG. 17
exemplifies the possible contents of a single HMEM data structure
22, while FIG. 18, as explained below, exemplifies the possible
contents of a single RMEM data structure 24. In such instances, the
data distributor 9 may be configured to access the write port, and
the HMM engine instance 13 may be configured to access the read
port of the HMEM and RMEM memories.
[0518] Specifically, in various instances, one or more of the
interfaces, such as the cluster bus interface 10 may be associated
with a clock, such as a cluster bus interface clock, which may be
run at a relatively slower cycle speed. Additionally, various other
components of the system 1, e.g., the HMM instance 13, may be
associated with one or more other clocks of the system, such as a
core domain clock, which clock may be run at a relatively faster
cycle speed. In such instances, therefore, the write port on both
the HMEM 16 and the RMEM 18 may be connected to the cluster bus
interface clock, while the read port on both the HMEM 16 and the
RMEM 18 may be connected to the HMM engine core clock domain.
Consequently, these memories may form a synchronous or an
asynchronous boundary between the slower cluster bus interface
clock domain and the faster HMM engine core clock domain.
[0519] Additionally, as shown with respect to FIG. 17, the HMEM 16
may be used to hold the reference haplotype base identifier and
other related control information. Each reference haplotype base
identifier may be represented within the data structure 22 as four
bits, such as by using a mapping scheme such as: 0 implies
haplotype base is "A;" 1 implies haplotype base is "C;" 2 implies
haplotype base is "G;" 3 implies haplotype base is "T;" and 15
implies haplotype base is "N." It is to be noted that other various
sequences and combinations of coding for the same may be employed
without departing form the nature of this embodiment. Accordingly,
in particular instances, A, C, G, and T, may be defined as 0, 1, 2,
and 3, and where there is an "N" base, e.g., where the reference
cannot make a good call as to the identity of a particular base, it
may be defined as 15. All other four-bit values may be RESERVED. It
is to be noted that each HMM engine instance 13 may have one, two,
or more logical HMEM instances. Also note that bits [31:30] of the
first word of each haplotype record may be written as "10"
binary.
[0520] As indicated, these haplotype base identifiers may be packed
as eight 4-bit values per 32-bit write word, with base identifiers
corresponding to earlier values in the reference sequence being
located closer to bit 0 of the 32 bit word (see FIG. 17, for more
information on the packing scheme). Accordingly, enough space is
provisioned in the HMEM to hold one, two, or more complete
reference sequences per HMM job 20, and these complete sequences
may be thought of as being held in separate logical HMEM instances.
This allows better use of both interface 4 and HMM engine 13
resources, as a read sequence that is to be compared to one or
more, e.g., multiple, different reference haplotype sequences need
only be written to an HMM engine instance 13 once.
[0521] In addition to the reference haplotype base identifiers, the
HMEM may also contain a haplotype length field, and a 32-bit
haplotype ID. For example, the haplotype length field communicates
the length of the reference haplotype sequence. The haplotype ID
may be a value generated by the variant call software of the CPU
1000, e.g., a thread 1007 thereof, and may be included with the
final output sum that is fed back to the CPU 1000. Such "Hap ID"
may therefore be used by the variant call software of the system 1
to associate a final HMM sum output with a specific reference
haplotype. For instance, in various instances, different jobs 20
may take different amounts of time to complete, so there is no
guarantee that the order in which the thread 1007 issues the jobs
20 to the hardware accelerator 8 will be the order in which it will
receive the results back from those jobs.
[0522] As can be seen with respect to FIG. 18, an exemplary read
data structure 24 is provided, such as where the data structure may
include one or more 32 bit words, such as on the top layer that
function as control words and/or contain the read length,
job-specific control information and/or other control data, e.g.,
in the reserved area. These data may include instructions regarding
specific parameters directing the software to perform certain
calculations so that the hardware need not calculate them. Such
data could be calculated by the hardware but it may in certain
instances be more efficient to perform such tasks in software as
they need only be calculated once per job.
[0523] The next layer of data may also be a 32 bit word such as
includes the read ID, which when taken with the haplotype ID
defines what the job 20 is and where it is from in the associated
active region 500 being processed. With respect to analyzing the
read sequence, for each read base the Phred quality score may be
provided and a gap open penalty (GOP), as explained below, may be
provided, both of which may be in 6-bits. It is to be noted that
the read memory 18 may be deeper than the haplotype memory for a
given sequence length, and this is in part because instead of
simply including 8 bases per 32-bit word, only 2 bases per 32-bit
road may be used, since the Phred score and GOP is also included.
Again, it is to be noted that the word layers need not be 32 bits,
but in various instances, the use of a 32-bit word may be
particularly efficient. In various embodiments, the HMEM 16 and
RMEM 18 may be configured so as to have enough space to hold the
data associated with a haplotype or read sequence(s) up to a length
of 1000 or more, such as 1020 or more, such as 1050 or 1080 or more
bases. Of course, shorter or longer sequences could be tolerated
with the corresponding increase in memory-dedicated resources.
[0524] Accordingly, the data structure associated with each read
base is set forth in FIG. 18. In this instance, a 2-bit base
identifier, with a {0,1,2,3} specifies {A,C,G,T}, respectively.
Further, a 6-bit base quality may be present in Phred space (where
a quality=0 or other determined base quality is used to imply a
base identifier of "N") as well as a 6-bit insertion/deletion gap
open penalty. Accordingly, the data associated with the two read
bases may be packed into each 32-bit word that is delivered to the
HMM cluster 11, with read base information corresponding to earlier
values in the read sequence being located in the lower half of the
32-bit word (see FIG. 6 for more information on the packing
scheme).
[0525] In addition to the read base identifiers, per-read-base
quality information, and per-read-base gap open penalty, the RMEM
18 may also contain the read length field, the job-specific control
information field, and a 32-bit read ID. The read length field can
be configured to communicate the length of the read sequence. The
read ID may be a value generated by the CPU 1000, or a thread 1007
thereof, which may be included with the final output sum to be fed
back to the CPU 1000. This "Read ID" may be used by the system 1 to
associate a final HMM sum output with a specific reference read
sequence (as before, it is noted that different jobs may take
different amounts of time, so there is no guarantee that the order
in which the CPU 1000 issues the jobs is the order in which it will
receive the results from those jobs).
[0526] Accordingly, when each HMI engine instance 13 completes a
job, a 128-bit record is made available to the data distributor 9
for reading. In order to efficiently utilize the interface 4, e.g.,
PCIe interface, and associated bandwidth, the data distributor 9
may collect records from multiple completed jobs 20.sub.n before
sending the data upstream to the CPU 1000. The record associated
with each completed job 20 may contain the following information:
Job Status Word, Hap ID, Read ID, and the Final HMI Sum Value.
Accordingly, when the computing has been completed, there are 4-32
bit words that are then returned to the variant call software of
the CPU 1000, the status word characterizes the job 20, the
haplotype and read IDs map the job 20 back to its corresponding
active region 500, and the final sum value, is described in greater
detail below.
[0527] For instance, the Read ID and Hap ID are typically those 32
bit values that the CPU 1000, or thread 1007 thereof, provides in
the write stream to use in identifying job 20 results. Since, the
jobs may not complete in the order that they were issued, the Read
and Hap IDs are the mechanism the system 1 uses to properly
associate jobs with results. The final HMM sum value may be a
32-bit value that is the output of the HMI matrix computation and
summing process, described below. This value may be in a variant of
floating point format, such as with a number of mantissa and
exponent bits that are programmable.
[0528] Following a job 20 being input into the HMI engine, an HMM
engine 13 may typically start either: a) immediately, if it is
IDLE, or b) after it has completed its currently assigned task. It
is to be noted that each HMI accelerator engine 13 can handle ping
and pong inputs (e.g., can be working on one data set while the
other is being loaded), thus minimizing downtime between jobs.
Additionally, the HMM cluster collar 11 may be configured to
automatically take the input job 20 sent by the data distributor 9
and assign it to one of the HMM engine instances 13 in the cluster
11 that can receive a new job. There need not be a control on the
software side that can select a specific HMM engine instance 13 for
a specific job 20. However, in various instances, the software can
be configured to control such instances.
[0529] Accordingly, in view of the above, the system 1 may be
streamlined when transferring the results data back to the CPU, and
because of this efficiency there is not much data that needs to go
back to the CPU to achieve the usefulness of the results. This
allows the system to achieve about a 30 minute or less, such as
about a 25 or about a 20 minute or less, for instance, about a 18
or about a 15 minute or less, including about a 10 or about a 7
minute or less, even about a 5 or about a 3 minute or less variant
call operation, dependent on the system configuration.
[0530] FIG. 19 presents a high-level view of various functional
blocks within an exemplary HMM engine 13 within a hardware
accelerator 8, on the FPGA or ASIC 7. Specifically, within the
hardware HMM accelerator 8 there are multiple clusters 11, and
within each cluster 11 there are multiple engines 13. FIG. 19
presents a single instance of an HMM engine 13. As can be seen with
respect to FIG. 19, the engine 13 may include an instance bus
interface 12, a plurality of memories, e.g., an HMEM 16 and an RMEM
18, various other components 17, HMM control logic 15, as well as a
result output interface 19. Particularly, on the engine side, the
HMM instance bus 12 is operably connected to the memories, HMEM 16
and RMEM 18, and may include interface logic that communicates with
the cluster hub 11, which hub is in communications with the
distributor 9, which in turn is communicating with the PCIe
interface 4 that communicates with the variant call software being
run by the CPU and/or server 1000. The HMM instance bus 12,
therefore, receives the data from the CPU 1000 and loads it into
one or more of the memories, e.g., the HMEM and RMEM.
[0531] In such an instance, enough memory space should be allocated
such that at least one or two or more haplotypes, e.g., two
haplotypes, may be loaded, e.g., in the HMEM 16, per given read
sequence that is loaded, e.g., into the RMEM 18, which when
multiple haplotypes are loaded results in an easing of the burden
on the PCIe bus 5 bandwidth. In particular instances, two
haplotypes and two read sequences may be loaded into their
respective memories, which would allow the four sequences to be
processed together in all relevant combinations. In other instances
four, or eight, or sixteen sequences, e.g., pairs of sequences, may
be loaded, and in like manner be processed in combination, such as
to further ease the bandwidth when desired.
[0532] Additionally, enough memory may be reserved such that a
ping-pong structure may be implemented therein such that once the
memories are loaded with a new job 20a, such as on the ping side of
the memory, a new job signal is indicated, and the control logic 15
may begin processing the new job 20a, such as by generating the
matrix and performing the requisite calculations, as described
herein and below. Accordingly, this leaves the pong side of the
memory available so as to be loaded up with another job 20b, which
may be loaded therein while the first job 20a is being processed,
such that as the first job 20a is finished, the second job 20b may
immediately begin to be processed by the control logic 15.
[0533] In such an instance, the matrix for job 20b may be
preprocessed so that there is virtually no down time, e.g., one or
two clock cycles, from the ending of processing of the first job
20a, and the beginning of processing of the second job 20b. Hence,
when utilizing both the ping and pong side of the memory
structures, the HMEM 16 may typically store 4 haplotype sequences,
e.g., two a piece, and the RMEM 18 may typically store 2 read
sequences. This ping-pong configuration is useful because it simply
requires a little extra memory space, but allows for a doubling of
the throughput of the engine 13.
[0534] During and/or after processing the memories 16, 18 feed into
the transition probabilities calculator and lookup table (LUT)
block 17a, which is configured for calculating various information
related to "Priors" data, as explained below, which in turn feeds
the Prior results data into the M, I, and D state calculator block
17b, for use when calculating transition probabilities. One or more
scratch RAMs 17c may also be included, such as for holding the M,
I, and D states at the boundary of the swath, e.g., the values of
the bottom row of the processing swath, which as indicated, in
various instances, may be any suitable amount of cells, e.g., about
10 cells, in length so as to be commensurate with the length of the
swath 35.
[0535] Additionally included is a separate results output interface
block 19 so when the sums are finished they, e.g., the 4 32-bit
words, can immediately be transmitted back to the variant call
software of the CPU 1000. It is to be noted that this configuration
may be adapted so that the system 1, specifically the M, I, and D
calculator 17b is not held up waiting for the output interface 19
to clear, e.g., so long as it does not take as long to clear the
results as it does to perform the job 20. Hence, in this
configuration, there may be three pipeline steps functioning in
concert to make an overall systems pipeline, such as loading the
memory, performing the MID calculations, and outputting the
results. Further, it is noted that any given HMM engine 13 is one
of many with their own output interface 19, however they may share
a common interface 10 back to the data distributor 9. Hence, the
cluster hub 11 will include management capabilities to manage the
transfer ("xfer") of information through the HMM accelerator 8 so
as to avoid collisions.
[0536] Accordingly, the following discussion goes into detail as to
the processes being performed within each module of the HMM engines
13 as it receives the haplotype and read sequence data, processes
it, and outputs results data pertaining to the same, as generally
outlined above. Specifically, the high-bandwidth computations in
the HMM engine 13, within the HMM cluster 11, are directed to
computing and/or updating the match (M), insert (I), and delete (D)
state values, which are employed in determining whether the
particular read being examined matches the haplotype reference as
well as the extent of the same, as described above. Particularly,
the read along with the Phred score anf GOP value for each base in
the read is transmitted to the cluster 11 from the distributor 9
and is thereby assigned to a particular processing engine 13 for
processing. These data are then used by the M, I, and D calculator
17 of the processing engine 13 to determine whether the called base
in the read is more or less likely to be correct and/or to be a
match to its respective base in the haplotype, or to be the product
of a variation, e.g., an insert or deletion; and/or if there is a
variation, whether such variation is the likely result of a true
variability in the haplotype or rather an artifact of an error in
the sequence generating and/or mapping and/or aligning systems.
[0537] As indicated above, a part of such analysis includes the MID
calculator 17 determining the transition probabilities from one
base to another in the read going from one M, I, or D state to
another in comparison to the reference, such as from a matching
state to another matching state, or a matching state to either an
insertion state or to a deletion state. In making such
determinations each of the associated transition probabilities is
determined and considered when evaluating whether any observed
variation between the read and the reference is a true variation
and not just some machine or processing error. For these purposes,
the Phred score for each base being considered is useful in
determining the transition probabilities in and out of the match
state, such as going from a match state to an insert or deletion,
e.g., a gapped, state in the comparison. Likewise, the transition
probabilities of continuing a gapped state or going from a gapped
state, e.g., an insert or deletion state, back to a match state are
also determined. In particular instances, the probabilities in or
out of the delete or insert state, e.g., exiting a gap continuation
state, may be a fixed value, and may be referenced herein as the
gap continuation probability or penalty. Nevertheless, in various
instances, such gap continuation penalties may be floating and
therefore subject to change dependent on the accuracy demands of
the system configuration.
[0538] Accordingly, as depicted with respect to FIGS. 20 and 21
each of the M, I, and D state values are computed for each possible
read and haplotype base pairing. In such an instance, a virtual
matrix 30 of cells containing the read sequence being evaluated on
one axis of the matrix and the associated haplotype sequence on the
other axis may be formed, such as where each cell in the matrix
represents a base position in the read and haplotype reference.
Hence, if the read and haplotype sequences are each 100 bases in
length, the matrix 30 will include 100 by 100 cells, a given
portion of which may need to be processed in order to determine the
likelihood and/or extent to which this particular read matches up
with this particular reference. Hence, once virtually formed, the
matrix 30 may then be used to determine the various state
transitions that take place when moving from one base in the read
sequence to another and comparing the same to that of the haplotype
sequence, such as depicted in FIGS. 20 and 21. Specifically, the
processing engine 13 is configured such that a multiplicity of
cells may be processed in parallel and/or sequential fashion when
traversing the matrix with the control logic 15. For instance, as
depicted in FIG. 20, a virtual processing swath 35 is propagated
and moves across and down the matrix 30, such as from left to
right, processing the individual cells of the matrix 30 down the
right to left diagonal.
[0539] More specifically, as can be seen with respect to FIG. 20,
each individual virtual cell within the matrix 30 includes an M, I,
and D state value that needs to be calculated so as to asses the
nature of the identity of the called base, and as depicted in FIG.
20 the data dependencies for each cell in this process may clearly
be seen. Hence, for determining a given M state of a present cell
being processed, the Match, Insert, and Delete states of the cell
diagonally above the present cell need to be pushed into the
present cell and used in the calculation of the M state of the cell
presently being calculated (e.g., thus, the diagonal downwards,
forwards progression through the matrix is indicative of
matching).
[0540] However, for determining the I state, only the Match and
Insert states for the cell directly above the present cell need be
pushed into the present cell being processed (thus, the vertical
downwards "gapped" progression when continuing in an insertion
state). Likewise, for determining the D state, only the Match and
Delete states for the cell directly left of the present cell need
be pushed into the present cell (thus, the horizontal cross-wards
"gapped" progression when continuing in a deletion state). As can
be seen with respect to FIG. 20, after computation of cell 1 (the
shaded cell in the top most row) begins, the processing of cell 2
(the shaded cell in the second row) can also begin, without waiting
for any results from cell 1, because there is no data dependencies
between this cell in row 2 and the cell of row 1 where processing
begins. This forms a reverse diagonal 35 where processing proceeds
downwards and to the left, as shown by the red arrow. This reverse
diagonal 35 processing approach increases the processing efficiency
and throughput of the overall system. Likewise, the data generated
in cell 1, can immediately be pushed forward to the cell down and
forward to the right of the top most cell 1, thereby advancing the
swath 35 forward.
[0541] For instance, FIG. 20 depicts an exemplary HMM matrix
structure 35 showing the hardware processing flow. The matrix 35
includes the haplotype base index, e.g., containing 36 bases,
positioned to run along the top edge of the horizontal axis, and
further includes the base read index, e.g., 10 bases, positioned to
fall along the side edge of the vertical axis in such a manner to
from a structure of cells where a selection of the cells may be
populated with an M, I, and D probability state, and the transition
probabilities of transitioning from the present state to a
neighboring state. In such an instance, as described in greater
detail above, a move from a match state to a match state results in
a forwards diagonal progression through the matrix 30, while moving
from a match state to an insertion state results in a vertical
downwards progressing gap, and a move from a match state to a
deletion state results in a horizontal progressing gap. Hence, as
depicted in FIG. 21, for a given cell, when determining the match,
insert, and delete states for each cell, the match, insert, and
delete probabilities of its three adjoining cells are employed.
[0542] The downwards arrow in FIG. 20 represents the parallel and
sequential nature of the processing engine(s) that are configured
so as to produce a processing swath or wave 35 that moves
progressively along the virtual matrix in accordance with the data
dependencies, see FIGS. 20 and 21, for determining the M, I, and D
states for each particular cell in the structure 30. Accordingly,
in certain instances, it may be desirable to calculate the
identities of each cell in a downwards and diagonal manner, as
explained above, rather than simply calculating each cell along a
vertical or horizontal axis exclusively, although this can be done
if desired. This is due to the increased wait time, e.g., latency,
that would be required when processing the virtual cells of the
matrix 35 individually and sequentially along the vertical or
horizontal axis alone, such as via the hardware configuration.
[0543] For instance, in such an instance, when moving linearly and
sequentially through the virtual matrix 30, such as in a row by row
or column by column manner, in order to process each new cell the
state computations of each preceding cell would have to be
completed, thereby increasing latency time overall. However, when
propagating the M, I, D probabilities of each new cell in a
downwards and diagonal fashion, the system 1 does not have to wait
for the processing of its preceding cell, e.g., of row one, to
complete before beginning the processing of an adjoining cell in
row two of the matrix. This allows for parallel and sequential
processing of cells in a diagonal arrangement to occur, and further
allows the various computational delays of the pipeline associated
with the M, I, and D state calculations to be hidden. Accordingly,
as the swath 35 moves across the matrix 30 from left to right, the
computational processing moves diagonally downwards, e.g., towards
the left (as shown by the arrow in FIGS. 7 and 20). This
configuration may be particularly useful for hardware
implementations, such as where the memory and/or clock-by-clock
latency are a primary concern.
[0544] However, when implementing an HMM function, as herein
described, in software, the memory and/or clock-by-clock latency
concerns are secondary. Hence, when running an HMM function, as
herein described, in software, a nested "for" loop process may be
implemented. For instance, when implemented in software, the code
may be configured so as to calculate all the possible state values
in the virtual HMM matrix such as exemplified herein: "for
haplotype_index=0 to (haplotype_length-1); for read_index=0 to
(read_length-1); Update M, I, and D state values for
(haplotype_index,read_index) base pairing; end. end." In its
essence, this code instructs the system to go from beginning to
end, such as going from the beginning of the row to the end, and/or
from the beginning of the column to the end, looping down the rows
and/or across the columns, or vice versa, all the way from the
beginning to the end. Accordingly, where latency timing is not an
issue, the system can simply begin at the first available bases in
each of the haplotype and read sequence indices, compare them with
one another to determine a match or mismatch probability, and then
move to a comparison of the next subsequent base in the sequences
to update the probabilities accordingly. In such an instance, a
downwards diagonal processing swath need not be promulgated.
[0545] However, this row-by-row, column-by-column computation of
the HMM states, as determined by the referenced exemplary code
above, may not be as useful when providing an accelerator that is
at least partially implemented in hardware. Particularly, where
clock cycles are important and latencies thereof must be managed to
achieve maximal efficiency, the swath based processing
configuration of FIGS. 20 and 21 may be particularly useful. For
example, there may be a one or more, such as a ten or twenty or
more, such as a twenty five or fifty or more cycle latency to
calculate any given state, and so the system can be configured so
as to push more data into the cells of the matrix during such
latency periods instead of just waiting around and doing nothing
during such latency periods, thereby increasing throughput without
affecting accuracy.
[0546] Hence, as can be seen with respect to FIGS. 20 and 21, new
data may be pushed into the system every single clock cycle, even
though the pipeline itself may take ten or twenty or more clock
cycles to complete its processing of any particular state of a
given cell or group of cells. Particularly, if the pipeline delay
through the M, I, and D state calculation, e.g., the clock cycle
latencies thereof, is known, the processing of the matrix 30 may be
configured, e.g., the processing swath 35 length adapted, such that
by the time that the first, e.g., top, cell of the swath 35a is
done being calculated, the system loops around and the beginning of
the processing of the next swath 35b may be initiated, as described
in greater detail with respect to FIG. 29.
[0547] Accordingly, the length of the swath 35 may be configured so
as to correlate with the latency of the clock cycles needed to
determine the state values for given selection of cells. An
increased latency period therefore would result in an increased
number of cells being processed within any given length of swath
35, and vice-versa with respect to decreased latency times. This
then reduces the need and/or storing times for results data, such
as in FIFO memories. Again, such a configuration is particularly
useful in hardware implementations where memory resources and
lookup times are important considerations. A further advantage of
such hardware implementations is that the processing of such
matrices 30.sub.n may be performed in a highly parallelized manner,
e.g., such as tens to hundreds to thousands of matrices being
processed all at the same time performing various different read to
haplotype comparisons, which cannot easily be achieved by employing
core computing facilities running various known software
implementations.
[0548] In these configurations, the actual value output from each
call of an HMM engine 13, e.g., after having calculated the entire
matrix 30, may be a bottom row (e.g., Row 35 of FIG. 21) containing
M, I, and D states, where the M and I states may be summed (the D
states may be ignored at this point having already fulfilled their
function in processing the calculations above), so as to produce a
final sum value that may be a single probability that estimates,
for each read and haplotype index, the probability of observing the
read, e.g., assuming the haplotype was the true original DNA
sampled.
[0549] Particularly, the outcome of the processing of the matrix
30, e.g., of FIGS. 6 and 29, may be a single value representing the
probability that the read is an actual representation of that
haplotype. This probability is a value between 0 and 1 and is
formed by summing all of the M and I states from the bottom row of
cells in the HMM matrix 30. Essentially, what is being assessed is
the possibility that something could have gone wrong in the
sequencer, or associated DNA preparation methods prior to
sequencing, so as to incorrectly produce a mismatch, insertion, or
deletion into the read that is not actually present within the
subject's genetic sequence. In such an instance, the read is not a
true reflection of the subject's actual DNA.
[0550] Hence, accounting for such production errors, it can be
determined what any given read actually represents with respect to
the haplotype, and thereby allows the system to better determine
how the subject's genetic sequence, e.g., en masse, may differ from
that of a reference sequence. For instance, many haplotypes may be
run against many read sequences, generating scores for all of them,
and determining based on which matches have the best scores, what
the actual genomic sequence identity of the individual is and/or
how it truly varies from a reference genome.
[0551] More particularly, FIG. 21 depicts an enlarged view of a
portion of the HMM state matrix 30 from FIG. 20. As shown in FIG.
21, given the internal composition of each cell in the matrix 30,
as well as the structure of the matrix as a whole, the M, I, and D
state probability for any given "new" cell being calculated is
dependent on the M, I, and D states of several of its surrounding
neighbors that have already been calculated. Particularly, as shown
in greater detail with respect to FIGS. 6 and 21, in an exemplary
configuration, there may be an approximately a 0.9998 probability
of going from a match state to another match state, and there may
be only a 0.0001 probability (gap open penalty) of going from a
match state to either an insertion or a deletion, e.g., gapped,
state. Further, when in either a gapped insertion or gapped
deletion state there may be only a 0.1 probability (gap extension
or continuation penalty) of staying in that gapped state, while
there is a 0.9 probability of returning to a match state. It is to
be noted that according to this model, all of the probabilities in
to or out of a given state should sum to one. Particularly, the
processing of the matrix 30 revolves around calculating the
transition probabilities, accounting for the various gap open or
gap continuation penalties and a final sum is calculated.
[0552] Hence, these calculated state transition probabilities are
derived mainly from the directly adjoining cells in the matrix 30,
such as from the cells that are immediately to the left of, the top
of, and diagonally up and left of that given cell presently being
calculated, as seen in FIG. 21. Additionally, the state transition
probabilities may in part be derived from the "Phred" quality score
that accompanies each read base. These transition probabilities,
therefore, are useful in computing the M, I, and D state values for
that particular cell, and likewise for any associated new cell
being calculated. It is to be noted that as described herein, the
gap open and gap continuation penalties may be fixed values,
however, in various instances, the gap open and gap continuation
penalties may be variable and therefore programmable within the
system, albeit by employing additional hardware resources dedicated
to determining such variable transition probability calculations.
Such instances may be useful where greater accuracy is desired.
Nevertheless, when such values are assumed to be constant, smaller
resource usage and/or chip size may be achieved, leading to greater
processing speed, as explained below.
[0553] Accordingly, there is a multiplicity of calculations and/or
other mathematical computations, such as multiplications and/or
additions, which are involved in deriving each new M, I, and D
state value (see FIG. 22). In such an instance, such as for
calculating maximum throughput, the primitive mathematical
computations involved in each M, I, and D transition state
calculation may be pipelined. Such pipelining may be configured in
a way that the corresponding clock frequencies are high, but where
the pipeline depth may be non-trivial. Further, such a pipeline may
be configured to have a finite depth, and in such instances it may
take more than one clock cycle to complete the operations.
[0554] For instance, these computations may be run at high speeds
inside the processor 7, such as at about 300 MHz. This may be
achieved such as by pipelining the FPGA or ASIC heavily with
registers so little mathematical computation occurs between each
flip-flop. This pipeline structure results in multiple cycles of
latency in going from the input of the match state to the output,
but given the reverse diagonal computing structure, set forth in
FIG. 20 above, these latencies may be hidden over the entire HMM
matrix 30, such as where each cell represents one clock cycle.
[0555] Accordingly, the number of M, I, and D state calculations
may be limited. In such an instance, the processing engine 13 may
be configured in such a manner that a grouping, e.g., swath 35, of
cells in a number of rows of the matrix 30 may be processed as a
group (such as in a down-and-left-diagonal fashion as illustrated
by the arrow in FIG. 8) before proceeding to the processing of a
second swath below, e.g., where the second swath contains the same
number of cells in rows to be processed as the first. In a manner
such as this, a hardware implementation of an accelerator 8, as
described herein, may be adapted so as to make the overall system
more efficient, as described above.
[0556] A further efficiency may be achieved in instances such as
this by limiting state storage requirements to a single row of M,
I, and D state values, such as at the bottom edge of the grouping
35 (see row 35 of FIG. 29). Hence, when starting the processing
from one swath 35a to the next 35b, e.g., grouping of rows, (below
the current swath or grouping), the M, I, and D state values that
were stored in the state memory for the previous swath 35a may be
used as the edge and/or initial conditions for the cells in the top
row of the next swath, e.g., grouping, of cells 35b to be
processed. For instance, in an exemplary embodiment, the swath 35a
is configured to be 10 cells in length, consequently, the next
grouping of cells to be processed 35b will include the next 10 rows
of virtual cells in the matrix, such as where the values set for
the final row of the first swath 35a being processed set the edge
for the values of the next swath 35b of cells to be processed. It
is to be noted that the swath length can be any suitable length,
such as 2 or 4 or 5 or 10 or 15 or 20 or 25 or 50 cells in length
or more.
[0557] Particularly, FIG. 22 sets forth an exemplary computational
structure for performing the various state processing calculations
herein described. More particularly, FIG. 22 sets forth three
dedicated logic blocks 17 of the processing engine 13 for computing
the state computations involved in generating each M, I, and D
state value for each particular cell, or grouping of cells, being
processed in the HMM matrix 30. As can be seen with respect to FIG.
10, the match state computation 15a is more involved than either of
the insert 15b or deletion 15c computations, this is because in
calculating the match state 15a of the present cell being
processed, all of the previous match, insert, and delete states of
the adjoining cells along with various "Priors" data are included
in the present match computation (see FIGS. 21 and 22), whereas
only the match and either the insert and delete states are included
in their respective calculations. Hence, as can be seen with
respect to FIG. 22, in calculating a match state, three state
multipliers, as well as two adders, and a final multiplier, which
accounts for the Prior, e.g. Phred, data are included. However, for
calculating the I or D state, only two multipliers and one adder
are included. It is noted that in hardware, multipliers are more
resource intensive than adders.
[0558] Accordingly, to various extents, the M, I, and D state
values for processing each new cell in the HMM matrix 30 uses the
knowledge or pre-computation of the following values, such as the
"previous" M, I, and D state values from left, above, and/or
diagonally left and above of the currently-being-computed cell in
the HMM matrix. Additionally, such values representing the prior
information, or "Priors", may at least in part be based on the
"Phred" quality score, and whether the read base and the reference
base at a given cell in the matrix 30 match or are different. Such
information is particularly useful when determining a match state.
Specifically, as can be seen with respect to FIG. 22, in such
instances, there are basically seven "transition probabilities"
(M-to-M, I-to-M, D-to-M, I-to-I, M-to-I, D-to-D, and M-to-D) that
indicate and/or estimate the probability of seeing a gap open,
e.g., of seeing a transition from a match state to an insert or
delete state; seeing a gap close; e.g., going from an insert or
delete state back to a match state; and seeing the next state
continuing in the same state as the previous state, e.g.,
Match-to-Match, Insert-to-Insert, Delete-to-Delete.
[0559] The state values (e.g., in any cell to be processed in the
HMM matrix 30), Priors, and transition probabilities are all values
in the range of [0,1]. Additionally, there are also known starting
conditions for cells that are on the left or top edge of the HMM
matrix 30. As can be seen from the logic 15a of FIG. 22, there are
four multiplication and two addition computations that may be
employed in the particular M state calculation being determined for
any given cell being processed. Likewise, as can be seen from the
logic of 15b and 15c there are two multiplications and one addition
involved for each I state and each D state calculation,
respectively. Collectively, along with the priors multiplier this
sums to a total of eight multiplications and four addition
operations for the M, I, and D state calculations associated with
each single cell in the HMM matrix 8 to be processed.
[0560] As can be seen with respect to FIG. 29, the final sum
output, e.g., row 34, of the computation of the matrix 30, e.g.,
for a single job 20 of comparing one read to one or two haplotypes,
is the summation of the final M and I states across the entire
bottom row 34 of the matrix 30, which is the final sum value that
is output from the HMM accelerator 8 and delivered to the CPU 1000.
This final summed value represents how well the read matches the
haplotype(s). The value is a probability, e.g., of less than one,
for a single job 20a that may then be compared to the output
resulting from another job 20b such as form the same active region
500. It is noted that there are on the order of 20 trillion HMM
cells to evaluate in a "typical" human genome at 30.times.
coverage, where these 20 trillion HMM cells are spread across about
1 to 2 billion HMM matrices 30 of all associated HMM jobs 20.
[0561] The results of such calculations may then be compared one
against the other so as to determine, in a more precise manner, how
the genetic sequence of a subject differs, e.g., on a base by base
comparison, from that of one or more reference genomes. For the
final sum calculation, the adders already employed for calculating
the M, I, and/or D states of the individual cells may be
re-deployed so as to compute the final sum value, such as by
including a mux into a selection of the re-deployed adders thereby
including one last additional row, e.g., with respect to
calculation time, to the matrix so as to calculate this final sum,
which if the read length is 100 bases amounts to about a 1%
overhead. In alternative embodiments, dedicated hardware resources
can be used for performing such calculations. In various instances,
the logic for the adders for the M and D state calculations may be
deployed for calculating the final sum, which D state adder may be
efficiently deployed since it is not otherwise being used in the
final processing leading to the summing values.
[0562] In certain instances, these calculations and relevant
processes may be configured so as to correspond to the output of a
given sequencing platform, such as including an ensemble of
sequencers, which as a collective may be capable of outputting (on
average) a new human genome at 30.times. coverage every 28 minutes
(though they come out of the sequencer ensemble in groups of about
150 genomes every three days). In such an instance, when the
present mapping, aligning, and variant calling operations are
configured to fit within such a sequencing platform of processing
technologies, a portion of the 28 minutes (e.g., about 10 minutes)
it takes for the sequencing cluster to sequence a genome, may be
used by a suitably configured mapper and/or aligner, as herein
described, so as to take the FASTQ file results from the sequencer
and perform the steps of mapping and/or aligning the genome, e.g.,
post-sequencer processing. That leaves about 18 minutes of the
sequencing time period for performing the variant calling step, of
which the HMM operation is the main computational component, such
as prior to the nucleotide sequencer sequencing the next genome,
such as over the next 28 minutes. Accordingly, in such instances,
18 minutes may be budgeted to computing the 20 trillion HMM cells
that need to be processed in accordance with the processing of a
genome, such as where each of the HMM cells to be processed
includes about twelve mathematical operations (e.g., eight
multiplications and/or four addition operations). Such a throughput
allows for the following computational dynamics (20 trillion HMM
cells).times.(12 math ops per cell)/(18 minutes.times.60
seconds/minute), which is about 222 billion operations per second
of sustained throughput.
[0563] Assuming there will be around 10% overhead in loading data
into the HMM accelerator, reading results from the accelerator, and
in general control of the overhead, one can derive that about
65.about.70 HMM cells need to be computed each clock cycle. Hence,
in various instances, the system may be configured to take 18
minutes for computing the 20 trillion HMM cells so as to achieve a
throughput of about 222 billion operations per second. In such an
instance, the HMM accelerator can be run at a frequency of 300 MHz
so as to achieve this throughput. If more computations are needed
to be performed, the computing resources and/or clock frequencies,
e.g., higher frequencies, may be configured to accommodate the
increased computations
[0564] In these embodiments, the HMM matrix 30, set forth in FIGS.
20 and 29, and its resultant computations may not be particularly
latency-sensitive. For instance, even with just one HMM cell
computed per clock cycle at 300 MHz, the average HMM job (computing
all the M, I, and D states and final sum value) will complete in
about 60 microseconds. Further, if the memory is limited with
respect to a given chip configuration, the fixed cost of the input
memories (for read and haplotype data) and the M, I, D state
memories may be amortized over multiple HMM cell computation
engines 13 per HMM job (per HMM matrix computation 20).
[0565] FIG. 23 sets forth the logic blocks 17 of the processing
engine of FIG. 22 including exemplary M, I, and D state update
circuits that present a simplification of the circuit provided in
FIG. 22. The system may be configured so as to not be
memory-limited, so a single HMM engine instance 13 (e.g., that
computes all of the single cells in the HMM matrix 30 at a rate of
one cell per clock cycle, on average, plus overheads) may be
replicated multiple times (at least 65.about.70 times to make the
throughput efficient, as described above). Nevertheless, to
minimize the size of the hardware, e.g., the size of the chip 2
and/or its associated resource usage, and/or in a further effort to
include as many HMM engine instances 13 on the chip 2 as desirable
and/or possible, simplifications may be made with regard to the
logic blocks 15a'-c' of the processing instance 13 for computing
one or more of the transition probabilities to be calculated.
[0566] In particular, it may be assumed that the gap open penalty
(GOP) and gap continuation penalty (GCP), as described above, such
as for inserts and deletes are the same and are known prior to chip
configuration. This simplification implies that the I-to-M and
D-to-M transition probabilities are identical, e.g., see FIG. 26.
In such an instance, one or more of the multipliers, e.g., set
forth in FIG. 22, may be eliminated, such as by pre-adding I and D
states before multiplying by a common Indel-to-M transition
probability. For instance, in various instances, if the I and D
state calculations are assumed to be the same, then the state
calculations per cell can be simplified as presented in FIG. 26.
Particularly, if the I and D state values are the same, then the I
state and the D state may be added and then that sum may be
multiplied by a single value, thereby saving a multiply. This may
be done because, as seen with respect to FIG. 25, the gap
continuation and/or close penalties for the I and D states are the
same. However, as indicated above, the system can be configured to
calculate different values for both the I and D transition state
probabilities, and in such an instance, this simplification would
not be employed.
[0567] Additionally, in a further simplification, rather than
dedicate chip resources configured specifically to perform the
final sum operation at the bottom of the HMM matrix, e.g., see row
34 of FIG. 29, the present HMM accelerator 8 may be configured so
as to effectively append one or more additional rows to the HMM
matrix 30, with respect to computational time, e.g., overhead, it
takes to perform the calculation, and may also be configured to
"borrow" one or more adders from the M-state 15a and D-state 15c
computation logic such as by MUXing in the final sum values to the
existing adders as needed, so as to perform the actual final
summing calculation. In such an instance, the final logic,
including the M logic 15a, I logic 15b, and D logic 15c blocks,
which blocks together form part of the HMM MID instance 17, may
include 7 multipliers and 4 adders along with the various MUXing
involved.
[0568] Accordingly, FIG. 23 sets forth the M, I, and D state update
circuits 15a', 15b', and 15c' including the effects of simplifying
assumptions related to transition probabilities, as well as the
effect of sharing various M, I, and/or D resources, e.g., adder
resources, for the final sum operations. A delay block may also be
added to the M-state path in the M-state computation block, as
shown in FIG. 22. This delay may be added to compensate for delays
in the actual hardware implementations of the multiply and addition
operations, and/or to simplify the control logic, e.g., 15.
[0569] As shown in FIGS. 22 and 23, these respective multipliers
and/or adders may be floating point multipliers and adders.
However, in various instances, as can be seen with respect to FIG.
19, a log domain configuration may be implemented where in such
configuration all of the multiplies turn into adds. FIG. 24
presents what log domain calculation would look like if all the
multipliers turned into adders, e.g., 15a'', 15b'', and 15c'', such
as occurs when employing a log domain computational configuration.
Particularly, all of the multiplier logic turns into an adder, but
the adder itself turns into or otherwise includes a function where
the function such as: f(a,b)=max(a,b)-log.sub.2(1+2 (-[a-b]), such
as where the log portion of the equation may be maintained within a
LUT whose depth and physical size is determined by the precision
required.
[0570] Given the typical read and haplotype sequence lengths as
well as the values typically seen for read quality (Phred) scores
and for the related transition probabilities, the dynamic range
requirements on the internal HMM state values may be quite severe.
For instance, when implementing the HMM module in software, various
of the HMM jobs 20 may result in underruns, such as when
implemented on single-precision (32-bit) floating-point state
values. This implies a dynamic range that is greater than 80 powers
of 10, thereby requiring the variant call software to bump up to
double-precision (64-bit) floating point state values. However,
full 64-bit double-precision floating-point representation may, in
various instances, have some negative implications, such as if
compact, high-speed hardware is to be implemented, both storage and
compute pipeline resource requirements will need to be increased,
thereby occupying greater chip space, and/or slowing timing. In
such instances, a fixed-point-only linear-domain number
representation may be implemented. Nevertheless, the dynamic range
demands on the state values, in this embodiment, make the bit
widths involved in certain circumstances less than desirable.
Accordingly, in such instances, fixed-point-only log-domain number
representation may be implemented, as described herein.
[0571] In such a scheme, as can be seen with respect to FIG. 24,
instead of representing the actual state value in memory and
computations, the -log-base-2 of the number may be represented.
This may have several advantages, including employing multiply
operations in linear space that translate into add operations in
log space; and/or this log domain representation of numbers
inherently supports wider dynamic range with only small increases
in the number of integer bits. These log-domain M, I, D state
update calculations are set forth in FIG. 24.
[0572] As can be seen when comparing the logic 17 configuration of
FIG. 24 with that of FIG. 22, the multiply operations go away in
the log-domain. Rather, they are replaced by add operations, and
the add operations are morphed into a function that can be
expressed as a max operation followed by a correction factor
addition, e.g., via a LUT, where the correction factor is a
function of the difference between the two values being summed in
the log-domain. Such a correction factor can be either computed or
generated from the look-up-table. Whether a correction factor
computation or look-up-table implementation is more efficient to be
used depends on the required precision (bit width) on the
difference between the sum values. In particular instances,
therefore, the number of log-domain bits for state representation
can be in the neighborhood of 8 to 12 integer bits plus 6 to 24
fractional bits, depending on the level of quality desired for any
given implementation. This implies somewhere between 14 and 36 bits
total for log-domain state value representation. Further, it has
been determined that there are log-domain fixed-point
representations that can provide acceptable quality and acceptable
hardware size and speed.
[0573] In various instances, there are three main utilizations of
RAM (or RAM-like) storage within each HMM engine instance 13, which
includes the haplotype sequence data storage 16, read sequence data
storage 18, and M, I, D state storage at the bottom edge of the
region (or swath), e.g., via a scratch pad memory. Particularly,
the haplotype sequence data, such as received by the system 1 from
the CPU 1000, or a suitably configured sequencer coupled therewith,
may contain a 4-bit indicator by which each particular base in the
haplotype may be represented, as described above with respect to
FIG. 17. For instance, in various embodiments, a suitable haplotype
length for use in the present system may be up to 1008 bases, more
or less, dependent on the system configuration. In addition to the
haplotype sequence, there are a 32-bit control word and 32-bit
haplotype ID that may be stored in the same memory 16. Accordingly,
together, this represents a 128 word.times.32 bits/word HMEM memory
16, and the organization for each block of haplotype memory is
given in FIG. 17.
[0574] For throughput reasons, and to better utilize the PCIe Bus
connection 5 to the microchip 7, in various instances, the hardware
may be configured to allow one, or two, or more haplotypes to be
associated with a given read in a given HMM job 20. Additionally,
as indicated, a ping-pong buffer may be set up to give various
software implemented functions the ability to write new HMM job
data 20b, while a current job 20a is still being worked on by a
given engine instance 13. Taken together, this means that there may
be four blocks of 128.times.32 memory associated with haplotype
storage, e.g., HMEM 16, and these may be joined together in a
single 512.times.32 two-port memory (one port for write, one port
for read, e.g., with separate clocks for write and read ports), as
shown in FIG. 17.
[0575] Likewise, in certain instances, the read sequence data may
contain a 2-bit indicator for representing what each base in the
read is supposed to be, a 6-bit read quality score (Phred value)
per read base, and a 6-bit gap open penalty (GOP) value (also in
Phred-like domain). Together these represent 14-bits per read base.
Hence, as can be seen with respect to FIG. 18, the HMM accelerator
8 may be configured such that information associated with two read
bases (e.g., 28-bits total, per above) may be packed into a single
32-bit word. Additionally, a 32-bit control word and a 32-bit read
ID may be stored in the same memory 18 as the read sequence data.
This all may be packed into a 512 word.times.32-bits/word RMEM
memory 18, thereby indicating that in certain embodiments, the read
sequence length may be about 1020 in length more or less.
[0576] In these instances, one read sequence is typically processed
for each HMM job 20, which as indicated may include a comparison
against two haplotype sequences. And like above for the haplotype
memory, a ping-pong structure may also be used in the read sequence
memory 18 to allow various software implemented functions the
ability to write new HMM job information 20b while a current job
20a is still being processed by the HMM engine instance 13. Hence,
a read sequence storage requirement may be for a single
1024.times.32 two-port memory (such as one port for write, one port
for read, and/or separate clocks for write and read ports).
[0577] Particularly, as described above, in various instances, the
architecture employed by the system 1 is configured such that in
determining whether a given base in a sequenced sample genome
matches that of a corresponding base in one or more reference
genomes, a virtual matrix 30 is formed, wherein the reference
genome is theoretically set across a horizontal axis, while the
sequenced reads, representing the sample genome, is theoretically
set in descending fashion down the vertical axis. Consequently, in
performing an HMM calculation, the HMM processing engine 13, as
herein described, is configured to traverse this virtual HMM matrix
30. Such processing can be depicted as in FIG. 20, as a swath 35
moving diagonally down and across the virtual array performing the
various HMM calculations for each cell of the virtual array, as
seen in FIG. 21.
[0578] More particularly, this theoretical traversal involves
processing a first grouping of rows of cells 35a from the matrix 30
in its entirety, such as for all haplotype and read bases within
the grouping, before proceeding down to the next grouping of rows
35b (e.g., the next group of read bases). In such an instance, the
M, I, and D state values for the first grouping are stored at the
bottom edge of that initial grouping of rows so that these M, I,
and D state values can then be used to feed the top row of the next
grouping (swath) down in the matrix 30. In various instances, the
system 1 may be configured to allow up to 1008 length haplotypes
and/or reads in the HMM accelerator 8, and since the numerical
representation employs W-bits for each state, this implies a 1008
word.times.W-bit memory for M, I, and D state storage.
[0579] Accordingly, as indicated, such memory could be either a
single-port or double-port memory. Additionally, a cluster-level,
scratch pad memory, e.g., for storing the results of the swath
boundary, may also be provided. For instance, in accordance with
the disclosure above, the memories discussed already are configured
for a per-engine-instance 13 basis. In particular HMM
implementations, multiple engine instances 13a-.sub.(n+1) may be
grouped into a cluster 11 that is serviced by a single connection,
e.g., PCIe bus 5, to the PCIe interface 4 and DMA 3 via CentCom 9.
Multiple clusters 11a-.sub.(n+1) can be instantiated so as to more
efficiently utilize PCIe bandwidth using the existing CentCom 9
functionality.
[0580] Hence, in a typical configuration, somewhere between 16 and
64 engines 13.sub.m are instantiated within a cluster 11n, and one
to four clusters might be instantiated in a typical FPGA/ASIC
implementation of the HMM 8 (e.g., depending on whether it is a
dedicated HMM FPGA image or whether the HMM has to share FPGA real
estate with the sequencer/mapper/aligner and/or other modules, as
herein disclosed). In particular instances, there may be a small
amount of memory used at the cluster-level 11 in the HMM hardware.
This memory may be used as an elastic First In First Out ("FIFO")
to capture output data from the HMM engine instances 13 in the
cluster and pass it on to CentCom 9 for further transmittal back to
the software of the CPU 1000 via the DMA 3 and PCIe 4. In theory,
this FIFO could be very small (on the order of two 32-bit words),
as data are typically passed on to CentCom 9 almost immediately
after arriving in the FIFO. However, to absorb potential disrupts
in the output data path, the size of this FIFO may be made
parametrizable. In particular instances, the FIFO may be used with
a depth of 512 words. Thus, the cluster-level storage requirements
may be a single 512.times.32 two-port memory (separate read and
write ports, same clock domain).
[0581] FIG. 25 sets forth the various HMM state transitions 17b
depicting the relationship between Gap Open Penalties (GOP), Gap
Close Penalties (GCP), and transition probabilities involved in
determining whether and how well a given read sequence matches a
particular haplotype sequence. In performing such an analysis, the
HMM engine 13 includes at least three logic blocks 17b, such as a
logic block for determining a match state 15a, a logic block for
determining an insert state 15b, and a logic block for determining
a delete state 15c. These M, I, and D state calculation logic 17
when appropriately configured function efficiently to avoid
high-bandwidth bottlenecks, such as of the HMM computational flow.
However, once the M, I, D core computation architecture is
determined, other system enhancements may also be configured and
implemented so as to avoid the development of other bottlenecks
within the system.
[0582] Particularly, the system 1 may be configured so as to
maximize the process of efficiently feeding information from the
computing core 1000 to the variant caller module 2 and back again,
so as not to produce other bottlenecks that would limit overall
throughput. One such block that feeds the HMM core M, I, D state
computation logic 17 is the transition probabilities and priors
calculation block. For instance, as can be seen with respect to
FIG. 22, each clock cycle employs the presentation of seven
transition probabilities and one Prior at the input to the M, I, D
state computation block 15a. However, after the simplifications
that result in the architecture of FIG. 23, only four unique
transition probabilities and one Prior are employed for each clock
cycle at the input of the M, I, D state computation block.
Accordingly, in various instances, these calculations may be
simplified and the resulting values generated. Thus, increasing
throughput, efficiency, and reducing the possibility of a
bottleneck forming at this stage in the process.
[0583] Additionally, as described above, the Priors are values
generated via the read quality, e.g., Phred score, of the
particular base being investigated and whether, or not, that base
matches the hypothesis haplotype base for the current cell being
evaluated in the virtual HMM matrix 30. The relationship can be
described via the equations bellow: First, the read Phred in
question may be expressed as a probability=10 (-(read Phred/10)).
Then the Prior can be computed based on whether the read base
matches the hypothesis haplotype base: If the read base and
hypothesis haplotype base match: Prior=1-read Phred expressed as a
probability. Otherwise: Prior=(read Phred expressed as
probability)/3. The divide-by-three operation in this last equation
reflects the fact that there are only four possible bases (A, C, G,
T). Hence, if the read and haplotype base did not match, then it
must be one of the three remaining possible bases that does match,
and each of the three possibilities is modeled as being equally
likely.
[0584] The per-read-base Phred scores are delivered to the HMM
hardware accelerator 8 as 6-bit values. The equations to derive the
Priors, then, have 64 possible outcomes for the "match" case and an
additional 64 possible outcomes for the "don't match" case. This
may be efficiently implemented in the hardware as a 128 word
look-up-table, where the address into the look-up-table is a 7-bit
quantity formed by concatenating the Phred value with a single bit
that indicates whether, or not, the read base matches the
hypothesis haplotype base.
[0585] Further, with respect to determining the match to insert
and/or match to delete probabilities, in various implementations of
the architecture for the HMM hardware accelerator 8, separate gap
open penalties (GOP) can be specified for the Match-to-Insert state
transition, and the Match-to-Delete state transition, as indicated
above. This equates to the M2I and M2D values in the state
transition diagram of FIG. 25 being different. As the GOP values
are delivered to the HMM hardware accelerator 8 as 6-bit Phred-like
values, the gap open transition probabilities can be computed in
accordance with the following equations: M2I transition
probability=10 (-(read GOP(I)/10)) and M2D transition
probability=10 (-(read GOP(D)/10)). Similar to the Priors
derivation in hardware, a simple 64 word look-up-table can be used
to derive the M2I and M2D values. If GOP(I) and GOP(D) are inputted
to the HMM hardware 8 as potentially different values, then two
such look-up-tables (or one resource-shared look-up-table,
potentially clocked at twice the frequency of the rest of the
circuit) may be utilized.
[0586] Furthermore, with respect to determining match to match
transition probabilities, in various instances, the match-to-match
transition probability may be calculated as: M2M transition
probability=1-(M2I transition probability+M2D transition
probability). If the M2I and M2D transition probabilities can be
configured to be less than or equal to a value of 1/2, then in
various embodiments the equation above can be implemented in
hardware in a manner so as to increase overall efficiency and
throughput, such as by reworking the equation to be: M2M transition
probability=(0.5-M2I transition probability)+(0.5-M2D transition
probability). This rewriting of the equation allows M2M to be
derived using two 64 element look-up-tables followed by an adder,
where the look-up-tables store the results.
[0587] Further still, with respect to determining the Insert to
Insert and/or Delete to Delete transition probabilities, the I2I
and D2D transition probabilities are functions of the gap
continuation probability (GCP) values inputted to the HMM hardware
accelerator 8. In various instances, these GCP values may be 6-bit
Phred-like values given on a per-read-base basis. The I2I and D2D
values may then be derived as shown: I2I transition probability=10
(-(read GCP(I)/10)), and D2D transition probability=10 (-(read
GCP(D)/10)). Similar to some of the other transition probabilities
discussed above, the I2I and D2D values may be efficiently
implemented in hardware, and may include two look-up-tables (or one
resource-shared look-up-table), such as having the same form and
contents as the Match-to-Indel look-up-tables discussed previously.
That is, each look-up-table may have 64 words.
[0588] Additionally, with respect to determining the Inset and/or
Delete to Match probabilities, the I2M and D2M transition
probabilities are functions of the gap continuation probability
(GCP) values and may be computed as: I2M transition
probability=1-I2I transition probability, and D2M transition
probability=1-D2D transition probability, where the I2I and D2D
transition probabilities may be derived as discussed above. A
simple subtract operation to implement the equations above may be
more expensive in hardware resources than simply implementing
another 64 word look-up-table and using two copies of it to
implement the I2M and D2M derivations. In such instances, each
look-up-table may have 64 words. Of course, in all relevant
embodiments, simple or complex subtract operations may be formed
with the suitably configured hardware.
[0589] FIG. 26 provides the circuitry 17a for a simplified
calculation for HMM transition probabilities and Priors, as
described above, which supports the general state transition
diagram of FIG. 25. As can be seen with respect to FIG. 23, in
various instances, a simple HMM hardware accelerator architecture
17 is presented, which accelerator may be configured to include
separate GOP values for Insert and Delete transitions, and/or there
may be separate GCP values for Insert and Delete transitions. In
such an instance, the cost of generating the seven unique
transition probabilities and one Prior each clock cycle may be
configured as set forth below: eight 64 word look-up-tables, one
128 word look-up-table, and one adder.
[0590] Further, in various instances, the hardware 2, as presented
herein, may be configured so as to fit as many HMM engine instances
13 as possible onto the given chip target (such as on an FPGA,
sASIC, or ASIC). In such an instance, the cost to implement the
transition probabilities and priors generation logic 17a can be
substantially reduced relative to the costs as provided by the
below configurations. Firstly, rather than supporting a more
general version of the state transitions, such as set forth in FIG.
25, e.g., where there may be separate values for GOP(I) and GOP(D),
rather, in various instances, it may be assumed that the GOP values
for insert and delete transitions are the same for a given base.
This results in several simplifications to the hardware, as
indicated above and shown with respect to FIG. 27.
[0591] In such instances, only one 64 word look-up-table may be
employed so as to generate a single M2Indel value, replacing both
the M2I and M2D transition probability values, whereas two tables
are typically employed in the more general case. Likewise, only one
64 word look-up-table may be used to generate the M2M transition
probability value, whereas two tables and an add may typically be
employed in the general case, as M2M may now be calculated as
1-2.times.M2Indel.
[0592] Secondly, the assumption may be made that the
sequencer-dependent GCP value for both insert and delete are the
same AND that this value does not change over the course of an HMM
job 20. This means that: a single Indel2Indel transition
probability may be calculated instead of separate I2I and D2D
values, using one 64 word look-up-table instead of two tables; and
single Indel2Match transition probability may be calculated instead
of separate I2M and D2M values, using one 64 word look-up-table
instead of two tables.
[0593] Additionally, a further simplifying assumption can be made
that assumes the Inset2Insert and Delete2Delete (I2I and D2D) and
Insert2Match and Delete2Match (I2M and D2M) values are not only
identical between insert and delete transitions, but may be static
for the particular HMM job 20. Thus, the four look-up-tables
associated in the more general architecture with I2I, D2D, I2M, and
D2M transition probabilities can be eliminated altogether. In
various of these instances, the static Indel2Indel and Indel2Match
probabilities could be made to be entered via software or via an
RTL parameter (and so would be bitstream programmable in an FPGA).
In certain instances, these values may be made
bitstream-programmable, and in certain instances, a training mode
may be implemented employing a training sequence so as to further
refine transition probability accuracy for a given sequencer run or
genome analysis.
[0594] FIG. 27 sets forth what the new state transition 17b diagram
may look like when implementing these various simplifying
assumptions. Specifically, FIG. 27 sets forth the simplified HMM
state transition diagram depicting the relationship between GOP,
GCP, and transition probabilities with the simplifications set
forth above.
[0595] Likewise, FIG. 28 sets forth the circuitry 17a,b for the HMM
transition probabilities and priors generation, which supports the
simplified state transition diagram of FIG. 27. As seen with
respect to FIG. 28, a circuit realization of that state transition
diagram is provided. Thus, in various instances, for the HMM
hardware accelerator 8, the cost of generating the transition
probabilities and one Prior each clock cycle reduces to: Two 64
word look-up-tables, and One 128 word look-up-table.
[0596] As set forth above, the engine control logic 15/17 is
configured for generating the virtual matrix and/or traversing the
matrix so as to reach the edge of the swath, e.g., via high-level
engine state machines, where result data may be finally summed,
e.g., via final sum control logic 19, and stored, e.g., via put/get
logic. FIG. 29 presents a representation of an exemplary virtual
matrix 30 with the hypothesis haplotype sequence index positioned
along the horizontal axis and the read sequence index positioned
along the vertical axis. Specifically, FIG. 29 illustrates an
exemplary method by which such a virtual HMM matrix 30 may be
traversed.
[0597] Accordingly, as can be seen with respect to FIG. 29, in
various embodiments, a method for producing and/or traversing an
HMM cell matrix 30 is provided. Specifically, FIG. 29 sets forth an
example of how the HMM accelerator control logic 15 goes about
traversing the virtual cells in the HMM matrix. For instance,
assuming for exemplary purposes, a 5 clock cycle latency for each
multiply and each add operation, the worst-case latency through the
M, I, D state update calculations would be the 20 clock cycles it
would take to propagate through the M update calculation, e.g., see
FIG. 21. There are half as many operations in the I and D state
update calculations, implying a 10 clock cycle latency for those
operations.
[0598] These latency implications of the M, I, and D compute
operations can be understood with respect to FIGS. 21 and 22, which
sets forth various examples of the cell-to-cell data dependencies.
In such instances, the M and D state information of a given cell
feed the D state computations of the cell in the HMM matrix that is
immediately to the right (e.g., having the same read base as the
given cell, but having the next haplotype base). Likewise, the M
and I state information for the given cell feed the I state
computations of the cell in the HMM matrix that is immediately
below (e.g., having the same haplotype base as the give cell, but
having the next read base). So, in particular instances, the M, I,
and D states of a given cell feed the D and I state computations of
cells in the next diagonal of the HMM cell matrix.
[0599] Similarly, the M, I, and D states of a given cell feed the M
state computation of the cell that is to the right one and down one
(e.g., having both the next haplotype base AND the next read base).
This cell is actually two diagonals away from the cell that feeds
it (whereas, the I and D state calculations rely on states from a
cell that is one diagonal away). This quality of the I and D state
calculations relying on cells one diagonal away, while the M state
calculations rely on cells two diagonals away, has a beneficial
result for hardware design.
[0600] Particularly, given these configurations, I and D state
calculations may be adapted to take half as long (e.g., 10 cycles)
as the M state calculations (e.g., 20 cycles). Hence, if M state
calculations are started 10 cycles before I and D state
calculations for the same cell, then the M, I, and D state
computations for a cell in the HMM matrix 30 will all complete at
the same time. Additionally, if the matrix 30 is traversed in a
diagonal fashion, such as having a swath 35 of about 10 cells each
within it (e.g., that spans ten read bases), then: The M and D
states produced by a given cell at (hap, rd) coordinates (i, j) can
be used by cell (i+1, j) D state calculations as soon as they are
all the way through the compute pipeline of the cell at (i, j).
[0601] The M and I states produced by a given cell at (hap, rd)
coordinates (i, j) can be used by cell (i, j+1) I state
calculations one clock cycle after they are all the way through the
compute pipeline of the cell at (i, j). Likewise, the M, I and D
states produced by a given cell at (hap, rd) coordinates (i, j) can
be used by cell (i+1, j+1) M state calculations one clock cycle
after they are all the way through the compute pipeline of the cell
at (i, j). Taken together, the above points establish that very
little dedicated storage is needed for the M, I, and D states along
the diagonal of the swath path that spans the swath length, e.g.,
of ten reads. In such an instance, just the registers required to
delay cell (i, j) M, I, and D state values one clock cycle for use
in cell (i+1, j+1) M calculations and cell (i, j+1) I calculations
by one clock cycle). Moreover, there is somewhat of a virtuous
cycle here as the M state computations for a given cell are begun
10 clock cycles before the I and D state calculations for that same
cell, natively outputting the new M, I, and D states for any given
cell simultaneously.
[0602] In view of the above, and as can be seen with respect to
FIG. 29, the HMM accelerator control logic 15 may be configured to
process the data within each of the cells of the virtual matrix 30
in a manner so as to traverse the matrix. Particularly, in various
embodiments, operations start at cell (0, 0), with M state
calculations beginning 10 clock cycles before I and D state
calculations begin. The next cell to traverse should be cell (1,
0). However, there is a ten cycle latency after the start of I and
D calculations before the results from cell (0, 0) will be
available. The hardware, therefore, inserts nine "dead" cycles into
the compute pipeline. These are shown as the cells with haplotype
index less than zero in FIG. 29.
[0603] After completing the dead cycle that has an effective cell
position in the matrix of (-9, -9), the M, I, and D state values
for cell (0, 0) are available. These (e.g., the M and D state
outputs of cell (0, 0)) may now be used straight away to start the
D state computations of cell (0, 1). One clock cycle later, the M,
I, and D state values from cell (0, 0) may be used to begin the I
state computations of cell (0, 1) and the M state computations of
cell (1, 1).
[0604] The next cell to be traversed may be cell (2, 0). However,
there is a ten cycle latency after the start of I and D
calculations before the results from cell (1, 0) will be available.
The hardware, therefore, inserts eight dead cycles into the compute
pipeline. These are shown as the cells with haplotype index less
than zero, as in FIG. 24 along the same diagonal as cells (1, 0)
and (0, 1). After completing the dead cycle that has an effective
cell position in the matrix of (-8, -9), the M, I, and D state
values for cell (1, 0) are available. These (e.g., the M and D
state outputs of cell (1, 0)) are now used straight away to start
the D state computations of cell (2, 0).
[0605] One clock cycle later, the M, I, and D state values from
cell (1, 0) may be used to begin the I state computations of cell
(1, 1) and the M state computations of cell (2, 1). The M and D
state values from cell (0, 1) may then be used at that same time to
start the D state calculations of cell (1, 1). One clock cycle
later, the M, I, and D state values from cell (0, 1) are used to
begin the I state computations of cell (0, 2) and the M state
computations of cell (1, 2).
[0606] Now, the next cell to traverse may be cell (3, 0). However,
there is a ten-cycle latency after the start of I and D
calculations before the results from cell (2, 0) will be available.
The hardware, therefore, inserts seven dead cycles into the compute
pipeline. These are again shown as the cells with haplotype index
less than zero in FIG. 24 along the same diagonal as cells (2, 0),
(1, 1), and (0, 2). After completing the dead cycle that has an
effective cell position in the matrix of (-7, -9), the M, I, and D
state values for cell (2, 0) are available. These (e.g., the M and
D state outputs of cell (2, 0)) are now used straight away to start
the D state computations of cell (3, 0). And, so, computation for
another ten cells in the diagonal begins.
[0607] Such processing may continue until the end of the last full
diagonal in the swath 35a, which, in this example (that has a read
length of 35 and haplotype length of 14), will occur after the
diagonal that begins with the cell at (hap, rd) coordinates of (13,
0) is completed. After the cell (4, 9) in FIG. 28 is traversed, the
next cell to traverse should be cell (13, 1). However, there is a
ten-cycle latency after the start of the I and D calculations
before the results from cell (12, 1) will be available.
[0608] The hardware may be configured, therefore, to start
operations associated with the first cell in the next swath 35b,
such as at coordinates (0, 10). Following the processing of cell
(0, 10), then cell (13, 1) can be traversed. The whole diagonal of
cells beginning with cell (13, 1) is then traversed until cell (5,
9) is reached. Likewise, after the cell (5, 9) is traversed, the
next cell to traverse should be cell (13, 2). However, as before
there may be a ten cycle latency after the start of I and D
calculations before the results from cell (12, 2) will be
available. Hence, the hardware may be configured to start
operations associated with the first cell in the second diagonal of
the next swath 35b, such as at coordinates (1, 10), followed by
cell (0, 11).
[0609] Following the processing of cell (0, 11), the cell (13, 2)
can be traversed, in accordance with the methods disclosed above.
The whole diagonal 35 of cells beginning with cell (13,2) is then
traversed until cell (6, 9) is reached. Additionally, after the
cell (6, 9) is traversed, the next cell to be traversed should be
cell (13, 3). However, here again there may be a ten-cycle latency
period after the start of the I and D calculations before the
results from cell (12, 3) will be available. The hardware,
therefore, may be configured to start operations associated with
the first cell in the third diagonal of the next swath 35c, such as
at coordinates (2, 10), followed by cells (1, 11) and (0, 12), and
likewise.
[0610] This continues as indicated, in accordance with the above
until the last cell in the first swath 35a (the cell at (hap, rd)
coordinates (13, 9)) is traversed, at which point the logic can be
fully dedicated to traversing diagonals in the second swath 35b,
starting with the cell at (9, 10). The pattern outlined above
repeats for as many swaths of 10 reads as necessary, until the
bottom swath 35c (those cells in this example that are associated
with read bases having index 30, or greater) is reached.
[0611] In the bottom swath 35, more dead cells may be inserted, as
shown in FIG. 29 as cells with read indices greater than 35 and
with haplotype indices greater than 13. Additionally, in the final
swath 35c, an additional row of cells may effectively be added.
These cells are indicated at line 35 in FIG. 29, and relate to a
dedicated clock cycle in each diagonal of the final swath where the
final sum operations are occurring. In these cycles, the M and I
states of the cell immediately above are added together, and that
result is itself summed with a running final sum (that is
initialized to zero at the left edge of the HMM matrix 30).
[0612] Taking the discussion above as context, and in view of FIG.
29, it is possible to see that, for this example of read length of
35 and haplotype length of 14, there are 102 dead cycles, 14 cycles
associated with final sum operations, and 20 cycles of pipeline
latency, for a total of 102+14+20=146 cycles of overhead. It can
also be seen that, for any HMM job 20 with a read length greater
than 10, the dead cycles in the upper left corner of FIG. 29 are
independent of read length. It can also be seen that the dead
cycles at the bottom and bottom right portion of FIG. 29 are
dependent on read length, with fewest dead cycles for reads having
mod(read length, 10)=9 and most dead cycles for mod(read length,
10)=0. It can further be seen that the overhead cycles become
smaller as a total percentage of HMM matrix 30 evaluation cycles as
the haplotype lengths increase (bigger matrix, partially fixed
number of overhead cycles) or as the read lengths increase (note:
this refers to the percentage of overhead associated with the final
sum row in the matrix being reduced as read
length--row-count--increases). Using such histogram data from
representative whole human genome runs, it has been determined that
traversing the HMM matrix in the manner described above results in
less than 10% overhead for the whole genome processing.
[0613] Further methods may be employed to reduce the amount of
overhead cycles including: Having dedicated logic for the final sum
operations rather than sharing adders with the M and D state
calculation logic. This eliminates one row of the HMM matrix 30.
Using dead cycles to begin HMM matrix operations for the next HMM
job in the queue.
[0614] Each grouping of ten rows of the HMM matrix 30 constitutes a
"swath" 35 in the HMM accelerator function. It is noted that the
length of the swath may be increased or decreased so as to meet the
efficiency and/or throughput demands of the system. Hence, the
swatch length may be about five rows or less to about fifty rows or
more, such as about ten rows to about forty-five rows, for
instance, about fifteen or about twenty rows to about forty rows or
about thirty five rows, including about twenty five rows to about
thirty rows of cells in length.
[0615] With the exceptions noted in the section, above, related to
harvesting cycles that would otherwise be dead cycles at the right
edge of the matrix of FIG. 29, the HMM matrix may be processed one
swath at a time. As can be seen with respect to FIG. 29, the states
of the cells in the bottom row of each swath 35a feed the state
computation logic in the top row of the next swath 35b.
Consequently, there may be a need to store (put) and retrieve (get)
the state information for those cells in the bottom row, or edge,
of each swath.
[0616] The logic to do this may include one or more of the
following: when the M, I, and D state computations for a cell in
the HMM matrix 30 complete for a cell with mod(read index, 10)=9,
save the result to the M, I, D state storage memory. When M and I
state computations (e.g., where D state computations do not require
information from cells above them in the matrix) for a cell in the
HMM matrix 30 begin for a cell with mod(read index, 10)=0, retrieve
the previously saved M, I, and D state information from the
appropriate place in the M, I, D state storage memory. Note in
these instances that M, I, and D state values that feed row 0 (the
top row) M and I state calculations in the HMM matrix 30 are simply
a predetermined constant value and do not need to be recalled from
memory, as is true for the M and D state values that feed column 0
(the left column) D state calculations.
[0617] As noted above, the HMM accelerator may or may not include a
dedicated summing resource in the HMM hardware accelerator such
that exist simply for the purpose of the final sum operations.
However, in particular instances, as described herein, an
additional row may be added to the bottom of the HMM matrix 30, and
the clock cycles associated with this extra row may be used for
final summing operations. For instance, the sum itself may be
achieved by borrowing (e.g., as per FIG. 26) an adder from the M
state computation logic to do the M+I operation, and further by
borrowing an adder from the D state computation logic to add the
newly formed M+I sum to the running final sum accumulation value.
In such an instance, the control logic to activate the final sum
operation may kick in whenever the read index that guides the HMM
traversing operation is equal to the length of the inputted read
sequence for the job. These operations can be seen at line 34
toward the bottom of the sample HMM matrix 30 of FIG. 29.
[0618] Particularly, once the genetic data has been generated
and/or processed, e.g., in one or more primary and/or secondary
processing protocols, such as by being mapped, aligned, and/or
sorted, such as to produce one or more variant call files, for
instance, to determine how the genetic sequence data from a subject
differs from one or more reference sequences, a further aspect of
the disclosure may be directed to performing one or more other
analytical functions on the generated and/or processed genetic data
such as for further, e.g., tertiary, processing. For example, the
system may be configured for further processing of the generated
and/or secondarily processed data, such as by running it through
one or more tertiary processing pipelines, such as one or more of a
genome pipeline, an epigenome pipeline, metagenome pipeline, joint
genotyping, a MuTect2 pipeline, or other tertiary processing
pipeline, such as by the devices and methods disclosed herein. For
instance, in various instances, an additional layer of processing
may be provided, such as for disease diagnostics, therapeutic
treatment, and/or prophylactic prevention, such as including NIPT,
NICU, Cancer, LDT, AgBio, and other such disease diagnostics,
prophylaxis, and/or treatments employing the data generated by one
or more of the present primary and/or secondary and/or tertiary
pipelines. Hence, the devices and methods herein disclosed may be
used to generate genetic sequence data, which data may then be used
to generate one or more variant call files and/or other associated
data that may further be subject to the execution of other tertiary
processing pipelines in accordance with the devices and methods
disclosed herein, such as for particular and/or general disease
diagnostics as well as for prophylactic and/or therapeutic
treatment and/or developmental modalities.
[0619] Accordingly, as set forth herein above, in various aspects,
this present disclosure is directed to systems, apparatuses, and
methods for implementing genomics and/or bioinformatic protocols
such as, in various instances, for performing one or more functions
for analyzing genetic data on an integrated circuit, such as
implemented in a hardware processing platform. For example, in one
aspect, a bioinformatics system is provided, wherein the system may
involve the performance of various bioanalytical functions that
have been optimized so as to be performed faster and/or with
increased accuracy in a hardware implementation. Accordingly, in
various instances, the methods and systems herein described may
include the performance of one or more algorithms for executing
these functions, wherein the algorithms may be implemented in a
hardware solution, such as where the algorithm has been optimized
so as to be implemented by an integrated circuit formed of one or
more hardwired digital logic circuits. In such an instance, the
hardwired digital logic circuits may be interconnected, such as by
one or a plurality of physical electrical interconnects, and may be
arranged to function as one or more processing engines. In various
instances, a plurality of hardwired digital logic circuits are
provided, which hardwired digital logic circuits are configured as
a set of processing engines, wherein each processing engine is
capable of performing one or more steps in the bioinformatics
genetic analysis protocol.
[0620] More particularly, in one instance, a system for executing a
sequence analysis pipeline such as on genetic sequence data is
provided. The system may include one or more of an electronic data
source, a memory, and an integrated circuit. For instance, in one
embodiment, an electronic data source is included, where in the
electronic data source may be configured for providing one or more
digital signals, such as a digital signal representing one or more
reads of genetic data, for example, where each read of genomic data
includes a sequence of nucleotides. Further, the memory may be
configured for storing one or more genetic reference sequences, and
may further be configured for storing an index, such as an index of
the one or more genetic reference sequences.
[0621] Further still, in various instances, one or more of the
plurality of physical electrical interconnects may include an
input, such as to the integrated circuit, and may further be
connected with the electronic data source, so as to be able to
receive the one or more reads of genomic data. In various
embodiments, the hardwired digital logic circuits may be arranged
as a set of processing engines, such as where each processing
engine is formed of a subset of the hardwired digital logic
circuits, and is configured so as to perform one or more steps in
the sequence analysis pipeline, such as on digitized genetic data,
e.g., on the plurality of reads of genomic data. In such instances,
each subset of the hardwired digital logic circuits may be in a
wired configuration so as to perform the one or more steps in the
sequence analysis pipeline, such as where the one or more steps may
include performing one or more of: a base calling and/or error
correction operation, such as on the digitized genetic data, and/or
may include one or more of performing a mapping, an alignment,
and/or a sorting function on the genetic data. In certain
instances, the pipeline may include performing one or more of a
realignment, a deduplication, a base quality score recalibration, a
reduction and/or compression, and/or a decompression on the
digitized genetic data. In certain instances the pipeline may
include performing a variant calling operation on the genetic
data.
[0622] Accordingly, in various embodiments, the systems,
apparatuses, and methods for implementing genomics and/or
bioinformatic protocols, as herein described, may involve taking
processes that may have typically been performed on software, and
embedding those functions into an integrated circuit, such as on a
chip 7, for instance as part of a circuit board 2, such as where
the functions have been optimized to enhance its performance on the
chip. Hence, in one embodiment, as can be seen with respect to
FIGS. 13 and 41 a chip 2 (100) is provided wherein the chip 2 has
been designed so as to efficiently perform the functions of the
pipeline. In various particular embodiments the chip 7 may be a
field programmable gate array (FPGA), an application specific
integrated circuit (ASIC), or a structured application specific
integrated circuit (sASIC), or the like.
[0623] For instance, the functioning of one or more of these
algorithms may be embedded onto a chip, such as into an FPGA or
ASIC or structured ASIC chip, and may be optimized so as to perform
more efficiently because of their implementation in such hardware.
Accordingly, in one embodiment a FPGA chip is provided wherein the
chip is capable of being configurable, e.g., its programming may be
changed, so as to be more adaptable in meeting a given user's needs
with respect to performing the various genomic functions detailed
herein. In such an instance, the user can change and/or modify the
algorithms employed dependent on the key parameters desired to be
emphasized in the overall system, such as to give additional
functionality or change out what was first presented on the chip,
e.g., such as re-configuring the chip to employ a different
algorithm.
[0624] Further, in another embodiment a structured ASIC chip is
provided wherein the chip is capable of being configurable such as
to a limited extent, e.g., some of its programming may be changed,
so as to be more adaptable in meeting a given user's needs with
respect to performing the various genomic functions detailed
herein. In accordance with another embodiment an ASIC is provided,
such as where the FPGA or sASIC is converted to an ASIC chip where
its functionality may be locked down into the chip. In such an
instance, various parameters, such as various parameters regarding
the function of one or more of the algorithms set forth herein, may
be user selected, for instance, governing how the various modules
are supposed to function, but the way those modules actually
function is locked in.
[0625] In various embodiments, as seen with respect to FIGS. 13,
41, the chip 7 (100) may be part of a circuit board, such as part
of an expansion card 2 (104), for instance, a peripheral component
interconnect (PCI) card, including a PCIe card, which in various
embodiments may be associated, such as, communicably coupled, e.g.,
electrically connected, with an automated sequencer device so as to
function part and parcel with the sequencer, such as where the data
files, e.g., FASTQ files, generated by the sequencer is transferred
directly over to the chip, such as for secondary genomic
processing, such as immediately subsequent to the FASTQ file
generation and/or primary processing, e.g., immediately after the
sequencing function has been performed.
[0626] Accordingly, in certain instances, a PCI 2 card is provided
wherein the PCI card may include a chip with a PCIe bus 5, where
the card 2 and/or chip 7 may include one or more of: a
configuration manager, such as a configuration control (Cent-Com);
a direct memory access engine (e.g., a driver); an API; a client
level interface (CLI), a library; a memory, such as a random access
memory (RAM) or a dynamic random access memory (DRAM); and/or a
chip level interconnect, such as a DDR3. For instance, in various
instances a configuration manager may be included wherein the
configuration manager is driven, such as by a parameter file. In
such an instance the configuration manager may be adapted so as to
configure the various modules of the pipeline. In various
instances, it may be user editable, and thereby allow a user to
determine which modules of the pipeline are going to be used, e.g.,
from all of them to a subset of less than all of them, such as for
a particular dataset, such as a particular set of FASTQ files.
[0627] For example, in various embodiments, the functioning of the
pipeline is very configurable such that one or more of the modules,
such as structured into the chip, may be run or not run, as
desired. Further, each module in use can also be configured so as
to run in accordance with one or more preselected parameters, which
the user may have control over, such as regarding how the module is
going to perform and behave. Hence, there may be two different sets
of configuration files, such as one that controls the basic
operations of the system as a whole, and may be hidden from the
user, and another that is capable of being manipulated by the user,
thereby allowing the user to select various of the parameters by
which one or more of the subsystems, e.g., modules, of the chip 7
(100) and/or PCI card 2 (104) will be run.
[0628] Accordingly, various of the above described modules may be
hardwired into the chip, or may be external to the chip, but
positioned in a coupling relationship therewith, such as on a PCI
board 2 (104), or they may be located remotely from the chip, such
as on a different PCI board, or even on a different server, such as
on a server that may be accessed via the cloud 30. For instance, in
certain implementations, one or more of the above described modules
may be hardwired onto a chip 7 (100) and the chip installed onto
the circuit board 2 (104) of a stand-alone device 300, or coupled
to a sequencer, whereby the user configures and runs the system
directly by themselves according to their own preselected
parameters. Alternatively, as indicated herein, one or more of the
above described modules may be present on a system that is
accessible via the cloud 30, wherein the directing of the
functioning of the pipeline, and/or the modules thereof, may
include the user logging on to a server, e.g., a remote server, and
transmitting data to and therefrom, and thereby selects which
modules to be run on the data set. In certain instances, one or
more of the modules may be performed remotely, such as via the
cloud accessed server.
[0629] In various instances, in configuring the system, the chip,
e.g., the chip 7 (100) on an expansion card 2 (104), such as a PCI
card, may be included in a server 300, whereby the server runs the
various applications of the system. In certain instances, the
server 300 may have a terminal connectable there with, whereby a
windows interface may be presentable to the user such that the user
may select the modules to be run and the parameters by which they
are to be run, such as by selecting a box from a menu of boxes. In
other instances, however, the parameter file may be a text file
detailing categories by module under file names that the user can
then edit, so as to select which modules will be run in accordance
with which parameters. For instance, in various embodiments, each
chip may include all or a selection of the modules, such as one or
more of: a base calling, error correcting, a mapping, an alignment,
a sorting, a local realignment, a duplicate marking, a
recalibration, a variant calling, a compression, and/or a
decompression module, from which the user may select which modules
will run, when, and to various extents how it will run, without
changing the functioning of the underlying algorithms by which the
individual modules are operated.
[0630] Additionally, in various instances, a direct memory access
(DMA) engine in the chip, and a DMA driver, may be included wherein
the DMA driver includes code that runs in the kernel. Accordingly,
the DMA driver may be the foundation of the overall operating
system. For instance, where the kernel runs in a literal addressing
space, layered above that may be a virtual user space. This
operating system software, therefore operates in between these
layers managing the mapping from the virtual to the physical space.
More particularly, the kernel represents the lowest level of code
that gives the platform access to the PCI 2, e.g., PCIe, bus 5, to
which the chip 7 (100) is coupled. Accordingly, since, in various
embodiments, the chip 7 (100) may be configured as an expansion
card 2 (104) with a PCIe expansion bus 5, which expansion card 2
may be coupled with various hardware of a device, such as a
sequencer, the DMA driver may function so as to communicate with
the hardware of the sequencer, and may further be configured for
running at the kernel level on the CPU 100, so as to also
communicate with the DMA engine in the chip 7 (100), and/or be
configured for operating in the virtual user space so as to receive
instructions from the user.
[0631] To facilitate this communication within the chip and/or
between the chip and one or more cards, every single configurable
parameter of a module may be assigned to a register address. In
such an instance, the card may have its own address space, which
address space may be different from the address space for one or
more memories, such as 64 gigabytes of memory, and/or additionally
every module may have registers and local memory associated with
it, each with its own address space. Accordingly, the driver knows
where everything is, all the addresses, and knows how to
communicate between the chip 7 (100), the PCI card 2 (104), and/or
the hardware of the server. Further, knowing where all the
addresses are and communicating with an API the driver can read the
parameter file that a user generates, and can look up for that
parameter where the file is actually located in the host computer
system and will read and interpret the value in the file and will
deliver that value in the right register in the right place in the
chip. Hence, the driver may handle delivering the selected
parameter instructions, such as with respect to various user
selected configurations, and ships that data to the chip via the
DMA engine to configure any of its processing functions.
[0632] Particularly, once the genetic data has been generated
and/or processed, e.g., in one or more primary and/or secondary
processing protocols, such as by being mapped, aligned, and/or
sorted, such as to produce one or more variant call files, for
instance, to determine how the genetic sequence data from a subject
differs from one or more reference sequences, a further aspect of
the disclosure may be directed to performing one or more other
analytical functions on the generated and/or processed genetic data
such as for further, e.g., tertiary, processing. For example, the
system, as presented in FIG. 33, may be configured for further
processing of the generated and/or secondarily processed data, such
as by running it through one or more tertiary processing pipelines
700, such as one or more of a genome pipeline, an epigenome
pipeline, metagenome pipeline, joint genotyping, a MuTect2
pipeline, or other tertiary processing pipeline, such as by the
devices and methods disclosed herein. For instance, in various
instances, an additional layer of processing 800 may be provided,
such as for disease diagnostics, therapeutic treatment, and/or
prophylactic prevention, such as including NIPT, NICU, Cancer, LDT,
AgBio, and other such disease diagnostics, prophylaxis, and/or
treatments employing the data generated by one or more of the
present primary and/or secondary and/or tertiary pipelines.
[0633] Hence, the devices and methods herein disclosed may be used
to generate genetic sequence data, which data may then be used to
generate one or more variant call files and/or other associated
data that may further be subject to the execution of other tertiary
processing pipelines in accordance with the devices and methods
disclosed herein, such as for particular and/or general disease
diagnostics as well as for prophylactic and/or therapeutic
treatment and/or developmental modalities.
[0634] Further, in various instances, an API may be included
wherein the API is configured so as to include a list of function
calls that the user can make, so as to configure and operate the
system. For instance, an API may be defined in a header file that
describes the functionality and determines how to call a function,
such as the parameters that are passed, the inputs and outputs,
what comes in, what goes out, and what gets returned. For example,
in various embodiments, one or more of the elements of the pipeline
may be configurable such as by instructions entered by a user
and/or one or more third party applications. These instructions may
be communicated to the chip via the API which communicates with the
driver, instructing the driver as to which parts of the chip, e.g.,
which modules are to be activated, when, and in what order, given a
preselected parameter configuration.
[0635] As indicated above, the DMA driver runs at the kernel level,
and has its own very low level, basic API that provides access to
the hardware and functions so as to access applicable registers and
modules. On top of this layer is built a virtual layer of service
functions, that form the building blocks that are used for a
multiplicity of functions that send files down to the kernel and
gets results back, and further performs more higher level
functions. On top of that layer is an additional layer that uses
those service functions, which is the API level that a user will
interface with and it functions primarily for configuration,
downloading files, and uploading results. Such configuration may
include communicating with registers and also performing function
calls.
[0636] For example, as described herein above, one function call
may be to generate the hash table via the hashing algorithm.
Specifically, because in certain embodiments this function may be
based on a reference genome, once for every reference genome, the
hash tables that are used in the mapper may need to be constructed,
based on the reference, there is therefore a function call that
performs this function, which function call will accept a file name
of where the reference file is stored and it will then generate one
or more data files that contain the hash table and the reference.
Another function call may be to load the hash table that was
generated via the hashing algorithm and transfer that down to the
memory on the chip 7, and/or put it at the right spot where the
hardware is expecting them to be. Of course, the reference itself
will need to be downloaded onto the chip 7, as well for the
performance of the alignment function, and the configuration
manager can perform that function such as by loading everything
that needs to be there in order for the modules of the chip 7 to
perform their functions into a memory on to the chip or attached to
the chip 7.
[0637] Additionally, the API may be configured to allow the chip 7
to interface with the circuit board of the sequencer, when included
therewith, so as to receive the FASTQ sequencing files directly
from the sequencer such as immediately once they have been
generated and then transfers that information to the configuration
manager which then directs that information to the appropriate
memory banks in the hardware 7 that makes that information
available to the pertinent modules of the hardware so that they can
perform their designated functions on that information so as to
call bases, map, align, sort, etc. the sample DNA with respect to
the reference genome.
[0638] Further still, a client level interface (CLI) may be
included wherein the CLI may allow the user to call one or more of
these functions directly. In various embodiments, the CLI may be a
software application that is adapted to configure the use of the
hardware. The CLI, therefore, may be a program that accepts
instructions, e.g., arguments, and makes functionality available
simply by calling an application program. As indicated above, the
CLI can be command line based or GUI (graphical user interface)
based. The line based commands happen at a level below the GUI,
where the GUI includes a windows based file manager with click on
function boxes that delineate which modules will be used and the
parameters of their use. For example, in operation, if instructed,
the CLI will locate the reference, will determine if a hash table
and/or index needs to be generated, or if already generated locate
where it is stored, and direct the uploading of the generated hash
table and/or index, etc. These type of instructions may appear as
user options at the GUI that the user can select the chip to
perform.
[0639] Furthermore, a library may be included wherein the library
may include pre-existing, editable, configuration files, such as
files orientated to the typical user selected functioning of the
hardware, such as with respect to a portion or whole genome
analysis, for instance, for ancestry analysis, or disease
diagnostics, or drug discovery, or protein profiling, etc. These
types of preset parameters, such as for performing such analyses,
may be stored in the library. For example, if the platform herein
described is employed such as for oncology research, the preset
parameters may be configured differently than if the platform were
directed simply to researching a genealogy.
[0640] More particularly, for oncology, accuracy may be an
important factor, therefore, the parameters of the system may be
set to ensure increased accuracy albeit in exchange for possibly a
decrease in speed. However, for other genomics applications, speed
may be the key determinant and therefore the parameters of the
system may be set to maximize speed, which however may sacrifice
some accuracy. Accordingly, in various embodiments, often used
parameter settings for performing different tasks can be preset
into the library to facilitate ease of use. Such parameter settings
may also include the necessary software applications employed in
running the system. For instance, the library may contain the code
that executes the API, and may further include sample files,
scripts, and any other ancillary information necessary for running
the system. Hence, the library may be configured for compiling
software for running the API as well as various executables.
[0641] In various instances, the PCI 2 (104) and/or chip 7 (100)
may also include a memory, such as a Random Access Memory (RAM) or
a Dynamic Rapid Access Memory with e.g. a DDR3 interface, such as a
memory that may be used for facilitating the performance of the
various modules described herein, for instance, the mapper,
aligner, and/or sorter. For example, the DRAM may be where the
reference, the hash table, and/or the hash table index, and/or
reads may be stored. Further, the memory may be used for
facilitating the performance of various other modules described
herein, for instance, the deduper, local realigner, base quality
score recalibrator, variant caller, compressor, and/or decompresor.
For example, the DRAM may be where sorted reads, annotated reads,
compressed reads, and/or variant calls may be stored. Further, the
memory may be configured so as to include a separate interface for
each of the various memory modules employed by the aligner and/or
any other module, such as where each memory may include a file
layer and logical layer. As indicated above, because there may be
multiple memories and/or multiple modules, a chip level
interconnect may be included so as to facilitate communication
through the chip 7 (100).
[0642] Accordingly, in various instances, an apparatus of the
disclosure may include a chip, wherein the chip includes an
integrated circuit that is formed of a set of hardwired digital
logic circuits that may be interconnected by one or more physical
electrical interconnects. In various embodiments, the one or more
physical electrical interconnects include an input to the
integrated circuit that may be connected with an electronic data
source for receiving data. Further, in certain embodiments, the
hardwired digital logic circuits may be arranged as a set of
processing engines, such as wherein each processing engine may be
formed of a subset of the hardwired digital logic circuits, which
are configured to perform one or more of the steps in the sequence
analysis pipeline. More particularly, each subset of the hardwired
digital logic circuits may be in a wired configuration so as to
perform the one or more steps in the sequence analysis
pipeline.
[0643] In various instances, the set of processing engines may
include one or more of a mapping module, an alignment module,
and/or a sorting module, such as where the one or more of these
modules are in the wired configuration. For instance, a mapping
module may be included, where in the wired configuration, the
mapping module may access an index, such as of one or more genetic
reference sequences, e.g., from a memory, such as via one or more
of the plurality of physical electronic interconnects, so as to map
the plurality of reads to one or more segments of the one or more
genetic reference sequences. Further, in various instances, an
alignment module may be included, wherein the wired configuration,
the alignment module may access the one or more genetic reference
sequences, e.g., from the memory, such as via one or more of the
plurality of physical electronic interconnects, so to align the
plurality of reads to the one or more segments of the one or more
genetic reference sequences. Further still, in various instances, a
sorting module may be included, wherein the wired configuration,
the sorting module may access the one or more aligned sequences,
e.g., from the memory, such as via one or more of the plurality of
physical electronic interconnects, so to sort the plurality of
reads to a chromosome, such as from the one or more genetic
reference sequences. In like manner, in various instances, one or
more of local realignment, duplicate marking, base quality score
recalibration, and/or variant calling modules may be included in
the chip, such as in the wired configuration consistent as with the
modules described above, so as to perform their respective
functions.
[0644] As indicated above, in various instances one or more
integrated circuits of the disclosure may be configured as one or
more chips such as one or more of an ASIC, a FPGA, and/or a
structured ASIC chip. For instance, an integrated circuit is
characteristically a set of electronic circuits on a small wafer or
"chip" of semiconductor material, such as silicon. Typically
integrated circuits include circuit elements that may be
inseparably associated and electrically interconnected. A
prototypical digital integrated circuit includes a variety of
circuit elements such as one or more of logic gates, flip-flops,
multiplexers, and other various circuit elements that are
configured and/or configurable for functioning in circuit such as a
microprocessor, or other microcontroller, such as for binary
processing of "zero" and "one" signals, for instance, in the
performance of one or more of the operations of the disclosure.
[0645] More particularly, one or more mask-programmable logic gates
may be configured or programmed for performing a logical operation,
such as implementing a Boolean function, on one or more logical
inputs so as to produce a single logical output. Such logic gates
may be configured using one or more diodes or transistors in such a
manner that the gate operates as an electronic switch. In various
instances, logic gates can be cascaded in a manner akin to the way
that Boolean functions can be composed, thereby allowing the
construction of a physical model of all of Boolean logic and,
therefore, all of the algorithms and mathematics that can be
described with Boolean logic, such as those described herein, may
be implemented in the logic gates of the integrated circuits of the
present disclosure. In various embodiments, a collection of gates
may be present on the wafer in such a manner as to form a gate
array, such as a gate array circuit.
[0646] In various instances, an integrated circuit may also include
one or more flip-flops. A flip-flop may be a circuit, or at least a
part thereof, that is configured as a latch. Typically, a flip-flop
has two stable states and can change from one to the other such as
by signals applied to one or more control inputs, and, therefore, a
flip-flop will have one or two outputs. In use, flip-flops are
employed to store state information, and consequently, may be
deployed as a basic storage element, such as in sequential logic
operations. The integrated may also include a multiplexer. A
multiplexer may be configured for selecting one of several input
signals, such as digital (or analog) input signals, and further may
be configured for forwarding the selected input to an output. In
this manner, a multiplexer may be used to increase the amount of
data that can be sent over a network within a certain amount of
time and bandwidth.
[0647] In certain instances, as recited herein, a typical
integrated circuit can include anywhere from one to millions of
such circuit elements configured for performing operations, such as
those operations presently disclosed, wherein the various circuit
elements occupy only a few square millimeters of space. The small
size of these circuits allows high speed, low power dissipation,
and reduced manufacturing cost.
[0648] Such integrated circuits may be fabricated using a variety
of different technologies but, in general, are usually constructed
as a monolithic integrated circuit. For instance, a typical
integrated circuit, e.g., a semiconductor, may be fabricated in a
layer process, such as a layer process that includes about three
main process steps, such as imaging, deposition and etching. In
various instances, one or more of these process steps may be
supplemented by further processing steps such as doping, cleaning,
and the like. For example, in a typical fabrication procedure, a
wafer, such as a mono-crystal silicon wafer may be provided for use
as a substrate upon which the integrated circuit is to be
constructed, e.g., printed. Photolithography may then be employed
to print on the wafer so as to mark different areas of the
substrate that may then be doped and/or printed with tracks, such
as with a metal insulator such as aluminum.
[0649] Typically, an integrated circuit is composed of one or a
plurality of overlapping layers, such as where each layer is
defined by photolithography. Some layers may form diffusion layers,
marking where various dopants have diffused into the substrate, and
other layers define where additional ions may be implanted.
Additional layers may define the conductors (e.g., polysilicon,
metal layers, and the like) as well as the connection layers
between the conducting layers. For instance, a transistor may be
formed wherever the gate layer (polysilicon or metal) crosses a
diffusion layer, and in various instances, meandering stripes may
be used to form on-chip resistors. Exemplary integrated circuits
may include: an ASIC, an FGPA, and/or a Structured ASIC.
[0650] Often times, integrated circuits are fabricated for general
use. However, in various instances, such as some of those described
herein, an integrated circuit may be customized, such as to form an
application-specific integrated circuit or "ASIC." An ASIC,
generally referred to as a "standard cell ASIC," is an integrated
circuit that has been customized for a particular use, rather than
for a general-purpose use. Typically an ASIC may have a large
number of logic gates, such as in some instances, over 100 million
gates, which gates can be configured for preforming a multiplicity
of different operations such as being configured as microprocessors
and/or memory blocks, including ROM, RAM, EEPROM, flash memory, and
other large building blocks, such as for the purpose of performing
the operations herein disclosed. A unique feature of an ASIC is
that because it is a chip that is constructed for performing a
specific set of applications, the chip may be fabricated in such a
manner as to be customizable, such as by employing a gate-array
design protocol.
[0651] For instance, a gate array or uncommitted logic array (ULA)
may be used in the design and manufacture of application-specific
integrated circuits (ASICs). In such an instance, an ASIC may be
manufactured from a prefabricated chip that has active devices like
gates, e.g., NAND-gates, which at first may be unconnected, but may
at a later time be interconnected, such as according to the
gate-array design protocol, for example, by adding metal layers,
such as in the factory. Accordingly, with respect to producing an
ASIC, a gate array circuit may be prefabricated on a silicon chip
circuit that upon production has no particular function, but does
include one or more of transistors, standard NAND or NOR logic
gates, and may have further other active devices that may be placed
at predefined positions and manufactured on the wafer, which wafer
in this instance may be termed a "master slice." Hence, the
creation of a circuit having the determined specified functions may
be accomplished by adding a final surface layer or layers of metal
interconnects to the chips on the master slice late in the
manufacturing process, and joining these elements to allow the
function of the chip to be customized as desired, e.g., in
accordance with the design protocol.
[0652] More particularly, a gate-array design protocol employs a
manufacturing method where the various diffused layers, e.g.,
transistors and other active circuit elements, such as those
described above, are predefined and constructed on general use
wafers but are stored prior to metallization such that various of
the circuit elements remain unconnected. In such an instance, the
chip may then, at a later point in time, be customized in
accordance with various specific use parameters such as by a
physical design process that defines the interconnections of the
final device. For instance, gate array master slices are usually
prefabricated and stockpiled in large quantities waiting for
customization. An application circuit must be built on the gate
array in such a manner that the circuit has enough gates, wiring
and I/O pins so as to perform the desired functions.
[0653] Since requirements vary, gate array wafers often come in
standard families, including larger members having more, e.g., all,
resources, but being correspondingly more expensive, and somewhat
smaller members having a limited selection of resources, but also
being less expensive. The right wafer standard should be chosen
based on the number of resources required to perform the selected
functions. The amount of resources to be deployed may fairly easily
be determined, such as by counting how many gates and I/Os pins are
needed, however, the amount of routing tracks needed may vary
considerably and should therefore be selected carefully. However,
because the master slice is somewhat prefabricated, the design and
fabrication, according to the individual design protocol
specifications, may be finished in a shorter time compared with
standard cell or full custom (FPGA) design. In a manner such as
this, the gate array approach reduces the mask costs, since fewer
custom masks need to be produced. In addition manufacturing test
tooling lead time and costs are also reduced, since the same test
fixtures may be used for all gate array products manufactured on
the same die size.
[0654] In such an instance, the manufacture of such a standard cell
ASIC may include anywhere from two to nine, or ten, or twelve, or
more deposition layers, such as where one or more, e.g., all, of
the subsequent metal layers run perpendicular to the one below it.
Such fabrication methods are useful because they provide for a
somewhat customized chip design in a relatively short construction
time period because the final metallization process can be
performed quickly. However, such gate-array ASICs are often a
compromise as mapping a given design onto a "stock" wafer does not
typically give 100% utilization. Another disadvantage with respect
to an ASIC is the non-recurring engineering (NRE) cost that can run
into the millions of dollars. Nevertheless, the per unit production
cost of an ASIC can be quite low, comparatively.
[0655] An alternative to a standard cell ASIC for the production of
customizable chips is a field-programmable gated array or "FPGA."
An FPGA employs programmable logic blocks and interconnects that
are re-writeable thereby allowing the same FPGA to be designed and
at least partially re-designed so as to be used in many different
applications, or the same applications in a multiplicity of
different ways over time. More specifically, a field-programmable
gate array is an integrated circuit that is designed to be
configured one or a multiplicity of times, such as by a customer or
a designer, e.g., after manufacturing.
[0656] Typically, FPGAs have large resources of logic gates and/or
memory, e.g., RAM, blocks that can be configured to implement
complex digital computations. For instance, FPGAs contain
programmable logic components called "logic blocks", as well as a
multiplicity, e.g., a hierarchy, of reconfigurable interconnects
that allow the blocks to be "wired together." More particularly,
FGPAs may have a multiplicity of changeable logic gates that can be
inter-wired in a variety of different configurations, so as to form
logic blocks that can be configured to perform a wide variety of
complex combinational functions, such as those with respect to
performing the operations herein detailed. In various instances,
the logic blocks of an FPGA may be configured to include memory
elements such as simple flip-flops or more complete memory blocks
such as ROM or RAM. As FPGA designs employ very fast I/Os and
bidirectional data buses it may, in certain instances, be difficult
to verify the correct timing of valid data within setup and hold
times. Accordingly, in some instances, the appropriate floor
planning may enable resource allocations within an FPGA to meet
these time constraints. FPGAs, therefore, may be used to implement
any logical function that a standard cell ASIC could perform.
However, the ability to update the functionality after shipping,
partial re-configuration of a portion of the design, and the low
non-recurring engineering costs relative to an ASIC design
(notwithstanding the generally higher per unit cost), offer
advantages for many applications.
[0657] In some instances, the coarse-grained architectural approach
of a typical FPGA fabrication may be performed in such a manner as
to combine the logic blocks and interconnects of traditional FPGAs
with embedded microprocessors and related peripherals to form a
complete "system on a programmable chip". In certain instances, an
FPGA of the disclosure may have the ability to be reprogrammed at
"run time," and may, in accordance with the methods disclosed
herein, allow for reconfigurable computing or the production of
reconfigurable systems, e.g., a CPU that can reconfigure itself to
suit the operations disclosed herein. In some instances,
software-configurable microprocessors may be employed to provide an
array of processor cores and FPGA-like programmable cores that may
be present on the same chip.
[0658] A common FPGA architecture may include an array of
configurable logic blocks, I/O pads, and/or one or more routing
channels. Typically, a logic block may include one or a plurality
of logical cells, where a typical cell may include a 4-input LUT, a
Full adder (FA), and/or flip-flop, and the like, which function to
produce an output. In various instances, the output can be either
synchronous or asynchronous. An application circuit may be mapped
into an FPGA and the number of logic blocks, I/Os, and routing
tracks to be included can be determined from the design, the number
of which may vary. It is to be noted that since unused routing
tracks may increase the cost and decrease the performance of the
integrated circuit without providing any benefit, the number of
routing tracks should be enough such that its processes fit in
terms of lookup tables (LUTs) and I/Os to be routed without being
in excess. Further, since clock signals are normally routed via
special-purpose dedicated routing networks (e.g., global buffers)
they and other such signals may be separately managed.
[0659] An FPGA, as herein disclosed, may also include higher level
functionality fixed into the silicon, such as one or more
multipliers, generic DSP blocks, embedded processors, high speed
I/O logic, and/or embedded memories. Inclusion of these common
functions embedded into the silicon wafer reduces the area required
and gives those functions increased speed. It is to be noted that
the disclosed FPGAs may be used for systems validation including
pre-silicon validation, post-silicon validation, and firmware
development, such as to validate the final design prior to the
production of "for use" chips, such as standard cell ASIC or
Structured ASIC chips, which may represent the final end
product.
[0660] In the production of an exemplary integrated circuit, such
as an FPGA, etc., having the requisite functionality as herein
described, one or more of the following steps may be followed, in
any logical sequence. First, a hardware description language (HDL)
or a schematic design may be provided. An electronic design
automation tool, e.g., a CAD, can then be employed to generate a
technology-mapped netlist. The netlist can then be fitted to the
actual FPGA architecture such as by using a process called
place-and-route in accordance with the appropriate place-and-route
software. Once the design and validation process is complete, the
binary file generated may be used to (re)configure the FPGA.
[0661] In a typical design protocol flow, the design may be
simulated at multiple stages throughout the design process.
Initially the RTL description, such as in VHDL or Verilog, may be
simulated by creating test benches to simulate the system and
observe results. In certain instances, the synthesis engine may map
the proposed design to the netlist, and after the synthesis engine
has mapped the design to a netlist, the netlist may be translated
to a gate level description. At this stage a simulation may be
performed, e.g., again, to confirm the synthesis proceeded without
errors. The design may then be laid out in the FPGA, at which point
propagation delays may be added, and a simulation may be run, e.g.,
again, with these values back-annotated onto the netlist, such as
prior to final validation and further fabrication, such as in the
generation of one or more ASIC or structured ASIC based chips.
[0662] Accordingly, a hybrid between an ASIC and a FPGA is a
structured ASIC, which falls between an FPGA and an ASIC. The
traditional "standard cell ASIC", disclosed above, is typically
expensive, e.g., extremely expensive, and time consuming to
develop. For instance, in developing a standard cell ASIC a large
set of photolithographic masks may be produced for each standard
cell ASIC design. However, after this up-front investment in the
initial development has been made, the typical production costs
become very low, and the operating parameters with respect to
power, frequency, and logic capacity can readily be optimized.
[0663] Alternatively, unlike Standard cell ASICs, the typical FPGA
and/or CLPD, containing programmable logic, are relatively fast and
cheap to develop, largely because the pre-existing devices are
programmed electronically, and no photolithographic masks are
required. However, with respect to operating parameters, such as
power, frequency, and logic capacity, these are poor in comparison
to a standard cell ASIC, and per-unit costs can be very high,
particularly for large-capacity devices.
[0664] Structured ASICs, on the other hand, are a compromise
between these two. Unlike gate arrays, structured ASICs tend to
include predefined or configurable memories and/or analog blocks.
Hence, development cost is much lower than for standard cell,
because only a few photolithographic masks must be produced for
each structured ASIC design, such as for configurable metal layers.
And, although per-unit production costs are significantly higher
than standard cell, they are still far lower than FPGA unit costs.
With respect to power and frequency, these are a compromise between
standard cell and FPGAs, but their logic capacity is similar to the
largest FPGAs. Hence, in many instances, structured ASICs may be a
technology that can reduce the up-front cost and time to develop a
new custom integrated circuit.
[0665] With respect to design and fabrication of a structured ASIC,
and as shown in FIG. 35, before a series of structured ASICs can be
developed, a "master slice" 902 may first be developed, such as by
using standard cell ASIC methodology. As indicated above, the
master slice may include most of the typical integrated circuit
layers, such as one or more transistors, memories or memory cells,
input/output cells, phase-locked loops, or other clock generators,
and the like. Optionally a master slice may contain flip-flops,
latches, and/or multi-transistor combinational gates. Some amount
of local wiring between components may be included in the master
slice, but much of the wiring to implement a full logic design may
be omitted, such as to be added later. Note that a master slice can
theoretically be constructed to include any logic suitable for
standard cell ASICs, potentially including large complex modules,
and operating parameters (power, frequency, logic capacity) of
master slice logic are optimal, just as for standard cell ASICs.
Photolithographic masks may be produced for master slice content,
the mask set being similar or somewhat smaller than a standard cell
ASIC mask set. Accordingly, the master slice 902 includes a set of
digital logic circuits 903 that may or may not yet be hardwired to
function in a particular way.
[0666] Following construction of the master slice 903, a series of
one or more complete structured ASICs may be implemented, such as
by building upon the same master slice. Typically many structured
ASIC designs utilize the same master slice, to amortize the cost of
the master slice over many projects. Each individual structured
ASIC design may be implemented by determining a set of new wired
connections between components (transistors, etc.) in the master
slice, which will effectively build the master slice components
into higher level gates, flip flops, latches, memories, and large
complex logic modules. Accordingly, these determined wired
connections 905 may be implemented in a small number of additional
"configurable" metal layers 904A and 904B fabricated on top of the
master slice, such as by connecting metal pads, or vias, in the
master slice, for instance, by wires in the configurable metal
layers. These additional metal layers are called "configurable"
because they can be customized to each structured ASIC design
project; however, they are fixed at fabrication time and cannot be
rewired electronically except as the implemented logic design
provides. There can be any number of configurable metal layers
904.
[0667] Most any conceivable logic design can thus be implemented
using a master slice and appropriate wiring metal layers, as long
as the master slice contains enough logic resources (transistors,
memories, etc.) to form all the required logic design elements. The
number of configurable metal layers varies from one structured ASIC
design flow to another, but typically may be between 1 and 5
configurable metal layers more or less. A small additional set of
photolithographic masks may be produced, corresponding to the
configurable metal layers, and in device fabrication, the full mask
set (master slice masks and configurable metal layer masks) may be
used to build wafers of complete structured ASIC dice.
Alternatively, master slice wafers might be pre-fabricated in bulk,
and metal layers added in a later fabrication step to complete
wafers of specific structured ASIC designs.
[0668] Advantageously, a structured ASIC master slice can be
designed in one step, e.g., by a first designer, while specific
structured ASIC logic designs based on that master slice may be
designed, in a second step, such as by various other designers
utilizing services of the structured ASIC designer. In particular,
the various parties may typically be responsible for "front end"
logic design specific to the desired integrated circuit
functionality, such as RTL (register transfer logic) code
development, simulation, emulation, regression testing, debugging,
and the like; while the structured ASIC designer may typically be
responsible for "back end" design flow, including synthesis, place
and route, static timing analysis, test logic insertion, and/or
tapeout. An additional party, e.g., a foundry, may be employed to
produce physical photolithographic masks, fabricate wafers, and/or
test and/or package the device dice. In various instances, a
structured ASIC designer may also design custom master slices for a
particular application class, such as to contain logic resource
types or quantities customized to those applications.
[0669] Accordingly, by virtue of there being pre-defined metal
layers (thus reducing manufacturing time) and pre-characterization
of what is on the silicon wafer, e.g., master slice, (thus reducing
design cycle time) the cycle time and design cycle time in the
structured ASIC may be reduced as compared to typical ASIC
manufacturing processes. For instance, in a cell based ASIC design
or FPGA, e.g., gate-array, design the user may often have to design
power, clock, and test structures themselves. However, in a
structured ASIC these may be predefined which can save production
time and expense as compared to cell based or gate-array
profiles.
[0670] Particularly, the design task for structured ASIC's is to
map the circuit into a fixed arrangement of known cells. More
particularly, the comparative architecture of a structured ASIC
typically may include two main levels, such as both structured
elements and an array of structured elements. Such structured
elements may include both combinational and sequential function
blocks, which can function as either logical or storage elements.
Additionally, with respect to arrays of structural elements,
uniform or non-uniform array styles may be employed such as in a
fixed arrangement of structured elements.
[0671] Consequently, in a structured ASIC design, the logic
mask-layers of the device may be predefined. In such an instance,
design differentiation and customization may be achieved such as by
creating custom metal layers that create custom connections between
predefined lower-layer logic elements. Likewise, the design tools
used for structured ASIC can be substantially lower in cost and
easier (faster) to use than cell-based tools, because they do not
have to perform all the functions that cell-based tools do. More
particularly, pre-existing standard cell-based CAD tools may be
used in the design process. In some instances, however, CAD tools
designed specifically for structured ASIC's may be used. Product
specific placement tools may also be used. Further, as disclosed
herein, new and improved algorithms have been developed so as to
exploit the modularity of structured ASIC's, and better account for
a more clock aware design. Additionally, the methods herein
disclosed may be employed so as to enhance the evaluation and
analysis processes, as discussed above
[0672] In these manners the structured ASIC technology may act as a
bridge filling the gap between field-programmable gate arrays and
standard ASIC designs. More specifically, because only a small
number of chip layers need be custom-produced, structured ASIC
designs may have much smaller non-recurring expenditures (NRE) than
"standard-cell" or "full-custom" chips, which require that a full
mask set be produced for every design. Accordingly, a structured
ASIC offers high performance (a characteristic of a typical ASIC),
and low NRE cost (a characteristic of FPGA). Hence, a Structured
ASIC fabrication process can be employed so as to allow the end
product to be introduced quickly to market, to have lower cost, and
to be more easily designed.
[0673] In some instances, however, a FPGA, may be advantageous in
that the interconnects and logic blocks are programmable after
fabrication. This offers a high flexibility of design and ease of
debugging in prototyping. However, the capability of FPGAs to
implement large circuits is sometimes limited, in both size and
speed, which in some circumstances, may be due to the inherent
complexity in programmable routing and/or significant space that
may be occupied by the various included programming elements. On
the other hand, ASICs also have some disadvantages, such as an
expensive design flow, due in part to the fact that every different
design typically needs a complete different set of masks. The
structured ASIC, therefore, may be a solution between these two. It
may basically have the same structure as a FPGA, but may be
mask-programmable, such as in an ASIC, instead of being
field-programmable, by configuring one or several via layers
between metal layers. For instance, one or more, e.g., each SRAM
configuration bit can be replaced by a choice of either including
or not including a via or between various metal contacts.
[0674] For example, with respect to the architecture of a
structured ASIC, a typical architecture may often times be
fine-grained, medium grained, and/or hierarchical. A fine-grained
architecture may include many connections in and out of a
structured element, whereas higher granularities reduce connections
to the structured element but may also decrease the functionality
it can support. Each individual design will benefit differently at
varying granularities. More particularly, in a fine-grained
architecture, the architecture may include structured elements that
contain unconnected discrete components, such as transistors,
resistors, and other control elements that can later be connected.
In a medium grained architecture, the architecture of the
structured elements may include generic logic as well as gates,
MUX's, LUT's and/or storage elements, such as flip-flops.
Alternatively, in a hierarchical architecture, the architecture may
include mini structured elements, for instance that contain gates,
MUX's, and LUT's, but do not typically contain storage elements
like flip-flops. In other instances, the mini element may be
combined with registers or flip-flops.
[0675] With respect to implementing a structured ASIC the various
fabrication steps may include one or more of register transfer
level design (RTL); logical synthesis, so as to map the RTL into
structured elements; design for test insertion, so as to improve
testability and fault coverage; placement, so as to map each
structured element onto an array element and to place each element
into a fixed arrangement; physical synthesis in such a manner that
improves the timing of the layout, and optimizes the placement of
each element; clock synthesis in a manner that distributes the
clock network and minimizes the clock skew and delay; as well as
routing or otherwise inserting the wiring between the various
elements. In various instances, these steps may be performed in any
logical order and in a manner to make the design process, such as
with respect to logical synthesis, less complex, as well as to help
build up a more complete target structured ASIC library that
enhances what specifically can be implemented from the design.
[0676] Furthermore, it has become common for some designers of
processor cores to license the processor design to various
customers so as to embed in their own silicon devices. Such
embedded cores may include ARM, PowerPC, Krait, etc. as
general-purpose processors, and may also include more specialized
processors such as graphics processors (GPUs) or vector processors.
Embedded processor cores may be large, complex logic modules,
pipelined to run at high operating frequencies such as about 1 or 2
GHz to about 3 to 6 GHz, or more. In order to achieve such high
frequencies, careful physical layout and routing may be used for
processor cores and associated cache memory; and as a result,
embedded processor technology may often be supplied as a "hard
macro" (such as for defining precise placement and routing of the
subcomponents) for a particular silicon fabrication process.
[0677] However, such an embedded processor core may be a suboptimal
candidate for implementation in a structured ASIC using
configurable metal layers. Hard macros do not generally apply to
structured ASIC configurable layers, and even if an embedded
processor were implemented as closely as possible to its hard macro
in the configurable metal layers, it would likely be frequency
limited (e.g. 30% or 50% of nominal operating frequency), and would
likely consume very large portions of the available master slice
resources. The relative area inefficiency of structured ASIC fabric
as compared to standard cell could cause the embedded processor to
cover a significantly larger physical silicon area, and in
combination with reduced operating frequency, the performance to
area (or cost) ratio could be much lower than a standard cell
implementation of the same embedded core.
[0678] However, it is practical to implement embedded one or more
processor cores efficiently in a structured ASIC master slice, such
as by using a standard cell design methodology, as disclosed
herein, including the use of hard macros. These would retain full
operating frequency and performance, and consume only normal
silicon area. The processor core and/or cache input and output
wires could be connected to other resources in the master slice, or
advantageously, exposed to configurable metal layer routing, to
enable the embedded cores to be connected to any infrastructure and
logic modules implemented in each particular structured ASIC
design. In a manner such as this, the embedded processor cores
become master slice resources available to many various structured
ASIC designs later implemented using the master slice.
[0679] Embedded processor cores in a structured ASIC can be
connected to logic infrastructure so that software (firmware)
running on the cores can share and access various memory and other
resources, on-chip and off-chip, and to communicate with any or all
other logic modules on the chip, via memory and/or directly. In
this manner, the processor cores can operate in parallel with other
logic modules, and/or cooperate with other logic modules to
complete joint work, such as by the processor cores requesting
tasks to be performed by other modules, or other modules requesting
tasks to be performed by the processor cores, or both.
[0680] When Bio-IT acceleration modules (such as to perform
mapping, alignment, sorting, duplicate marking, base quality score
recalibration, local re-alignment, variant calling, compression,
decompression, etc. as described herein) are implemented in a
structured ASIC along with embedded processor cores, the resulting
system on a chip (SOC) has important advantages, especially in a
combination of speed and flexibility. Extreme speed may be achieved
by the hardware acceleration modules, and extreme flexibility may
be achieved by the full programmability of the processor cores. By
reprogramming the processor cores, the bio-IT algorithms executed
can be easily modified, but these algorithms can run orders of
magnitude faster than in traditional CPUs because computationally
intensive operations may be offloaded to hardware accelerators.
Communication and memory organization can be optimized for
cooperative processor-accelerator work. Additional software
algorithm acceleration can be obtained by additional hardware
modules designed to pre-process or post-process data used by the
processor cores, such as organizing reads overlapping a reference
genome locus into a pileup data structure, for presentation to the
processor cores. In some processor architectures, instruction sets
can be extended to utilize connected hardware resources; in the
Bio-IT SOC environment, new processor instructions can be defined
to access Bio-IT hardware acceleration functions.
[0681] As summarized in TABLE II, below, a structured ASIC,
therefore, has several prefabricated advantages, such as over an
ASIC or FPGA. For instance, the various components may be "almost"
connected, such as in a variety of predefined configurations, and
multiple global and local clocks may be prefabricated. This means,
therefore, that signal integrity and timing issues should
inherently be addressed. Additionally, only a few metal layers may
be needed for fabrication. Further, unlike standard FPGAs, the
structured ASIC should have a capacity, performance, and power
consumption closer to that of a standard cell ASIC. This should
allow for easier and faster design processes and times as well as
reduced NRE costs than in standard cell ASIC's, and should
drastically reduce turnaround time. Further still, no skew problems
should need to be addressed.
TABLE-US-00002 TABLE II Structured Standard Cell FPGA ASIC ASIC
Silicon area Very high Low Very low Power utilization High Low Very
low Operating frequency Low High High Logic capacity Medium Medium
High Development cost Very low Low High Per-unit cost Very high Low
Very low
[0682] A structured ASIC, therefore, has several different
beneficial properties, including one or more of: low NRE cost,
lower requirements for implementation engineering efforts, lower
mask tooling charges, such as over an ASIC, with the additional
benefits of high performance, low power consumption, fewer
fabrication layers, less complexity, in a pre-made cell block
configuration that is available for placing circuit elements,
together which leads to a quicker production time. There are,
however, some disadvantages to structured ASICs, for instance,
there are sometimes a lack of adequate design tools, which tools
and processing may be expensive and need to be altered from
traditional ASIC tools. Further, these new architectures are still
being subjected to formal evaluations and comparative analyses.
And, there may be tradeoffs between 3-, 4-, and 5-input LUT's,
and/or between sizes of distributed RAM.
[0683] Accordingly, in view of the above, there are both advantages
and disadvantages to ASICs, FPGAs, and Structured ASICs. For
instance, standard cell ASICs may be difficult to design, need a
long development time, have a high NRE cost. However, an ASIC may
also support large designs, support complex designs, have a high
performance at a low power consumption, which therefore could
result in a low or lower Per-Unit Cost (at high volume). On the
other hand, FPGAs may be easy to design, involve a short
development time, and a low NRE cost. However, FPGAs may have a
limited design size and/or complexity, may have limited
performance, and a high power consumption, which may result in a
high or higher Per-Unit Cost. In many instances, a structured ASIC
may be designed to maximize these benefits and minimize these
disadvantages. For instance, generally speaking there may be about
a 100:33:1 ratio between the number of gates in a given area for
standard cell ASIC's, structured ASIC's, and FPGA's; a 100:75:15
ratio for performance (based on clock frequency); and a 1:3:12
ratio for power, respectively.
[0684] As indicated above, in various instances a chip of the
disclosure may be configured as an expansion card, such as where
the chip includes a PCIe bus and is positioned so as to be in
communication with one or more memories, such as being surrounding
by memories, such as being substantially surrounded by memories,
such as being entirely surrounded by memories. In various
embodiments, the chip may be a dense and/or fast FPGA chip that in
various instances, may be convertible to an ASIC or an sASIC. In
various instances, the chip may be a structured ASIC that is
convertible into an ASIC. In some instances, the chip may be an
ASIC.
[0685] As indicated above, the modules herein disclosed may be
implemented in the hardware of the chip, such as by being hardwired
therein, and in such instances their implementation may be such
that their functioning may take place at a faster speed as compared
to when implemented in software, such as where there are minimal
instructions to be fetched, read, and/or executed. Hence, given the
unique hardware implementation, the modules of the disclosure may
function directly in accordance with their operations parameters,
such as without needing to fetch, read, and/or execute
instructions. Additionally, memory requirements and processing
times may be reduced, such as where the communications within chip
is via files rather than through accessing a memory. Of course, in
some instances, the chip and/or card may be sized so as to include
more memory, such as more on board memory, so as to enhance
parallel processing capabilities, thereby resulting in even faster
processing speeds. For instance, in certain embodiments, a chip of
the disclosure may include an embedded DRAM, so that the chip does
not have to rely on external memory, which would therefore result
in a further increase in processing speed, such as where a
Burrows-Wheeler algorithm may be employed, instead of a hash table
and hash function, which may in various instances, rely on
external, e.g., host memory. In such instances, the running of the
entire pipeline can be accomplished in 6 minutes or less, such as
from start to finish.
[0686] As indicated above, there are various different points where
any given module can be positioned on the hardware, or be
positioned remotely therefrom, such as on a server accessible on
the cloud. Where a given module is positioned on the chip, e.g.,
hardwired into the chip, its function may be performed by the
hardware, however, where desired, the module may be positioned
remotely from the chip, at which point the platform may include the
necessary instrumentality for sending the relevant data to a remote
location, such as a server accessible via the cloud, so that the
particular module's functionality may be engaged for further
processing of the data, in accordance with the user selected
desired protocols. Accordingly, part of the platform may include a
web-based interface for the performance of one or more tasks
pursuant to the functioning of one or more of the modules disclosed
herein. For instance, where mapping, alignment, and/or sorting are
all modules that may occur on the chip, in various instances, one
or more of local realignment, duplicate marking, base quality core
recalibration, and/or variant calling may take place on the
cloud.
[0687] Particularly, once the genetic data has been generated
and/or processed, e.g., in one or more primary and/or secondary
processing protocols, such as by being mapped, aligned, and/or
sorted, such as to produce one or more variant call files, for
instance, to determine how the genetic sequence data from a subject
differs from one or more reference sequences, a further aspect of
the disclosure may be directed to performing one or more other
analytical functions on the generated and/or processed genetic data
such as for further, e.g., tertiary, processing, as depicted in
FIG. 33. For example, the system may be configured for further
processing of the generated and/or secondarily processed data, such
as by running it through one or more tertiary processing pipelines
700, such as one or more of a genome pipeline, an epigenome
pipeline, metagenome pipeline, joint genotyping, a MuTect2
pipeline, or other tertiary processing pipeline, such as by the
devices and methods disclosed herein. For instance, in various
instances, an additional layer of processing 800 may be provided,
such as for disease diagnostics, therapeutic treatment, and/or
prophylactic prevention, such as including NIPT, NICU, Cancer, LDT,
AgBio, and other such disease diagnostics, prophylaxis, and/or
treatments employing the data generated by one or more of the
present primary and/or secondary and/or tertiary pipelines. Hence,
the devices and methods herein disclosed may be used to generate
genetic sequence data, which data may then be used to generate one
or more variant call files and/or other associated data that may
further be subject to the execution of other tertiary processing
pipelines in accordance with the devices and methods disclosed
herein, such as for particular and/or general disease diagnostics
as well as for prophylactic and/or therapeutic treatment and/or
developmental modalities.
[0688] As described above, the system herein presented may include
the generating, such as by the sequencer on a chip technology as
disclosed herein, or the otherwise acquiring of genetic sequence
data, and may include the performance of one or more secondary
processing protocols, such as including one or more of mapping,
aligning, and sorting of the generated genetic sequence data, such
as to produce one or more variant call files, for instance, so as
to determine how the genetic sequence data from a subject differs
from one or more reference sequences or genomes. A further aspect
of the disclosure may be directed to performing one or more other
analytical functions on the generated and/or processed genetic data
such as for further, e.g., tertiary, processing, which processing
may be performed on or in association with the same chip or chipset
as that hosting the aforementioned sequencer technology.
[0689] In a first instance, such as with respect to the generation,
acquisition, and/or transmission of genetic sequence data, as set
forth in FIG. 30, such data may be produced either locally or
remotely and/or the results thereof may then be directly processed,
such as by a local computing resource 100, or may be transmitted to
a remote location, such as to a remote computing resource 300, for
further processing. For instance, the generated genetic sequence
data may be processed locally, and directly, such as where the
sequencing and secondary processing functionalities are housed on
the same chipset and/or within the same device. Likewise, the
generated genetic sequence data may be processed locally, and
indirectly, such as where the sequencing and secondary processing
functionalities occur separately by distinct apparatuses that share
the same facility or location but may be separated by a space
albeit communicably connected, such as via a local network 10. In a
further instance, the genetic sequence data may be derived
remotely, such as by a NGS, and the resultant data may be
transmitted over a cloud based network 50 to a remote location,
such as separated geographically from the sequencer.
[0690] Specifically, as illustrated in FIG. 30, in various
embodiments, a nucleotide sequencer may be provided on site, such
as by a sequencer on a chip or by an NGS, wherein the sequencer is
associated with a local computing resource 100 either directly or
indirectly such as by a local network connection 10. The local
computing resource 100 may include or otherwise be associated with
one or more of a data generation 110 and/or a data acquisition 120
mechanism(s). Such mechanisms may be any mechanism configured for
either generating and/or otherwise acquiring data, such as analog,
digital, and/or electromagnetic data related to one or more genetic
sequences of a subject or group of subjects.
[0691] For example, such a data generating mechanism 110 may be a
primary processor such as a sequencer, such as a NGS, a sequencer
on a chip, or other like mechanism for generating genetic sequence
information. Further, such data acquisition mechanisms 120 may be
any mechanism configured for receiving data, such as generated
genetic sequence information, and/or together with the data
generator 110 and/or computing resource 150 capable of subjecting
the same to one or more secondary processing protocols, such as a
secondary processing pipeline apparatus configured for running a
mapper, aligner, sorter, and/or variant caller protocol on the
generated and/or acquired sequence data as herein described. In
various instances, the data generating 110 and/or data acquisition
120 apparatuses may be networked together such as over a local
network 10, such as for local storage 200, or may be networked
together over a cloud based network 30, such as for transmitting
and/or receiving data, such as digital data related to the primary
and/or secondary processing of genetic sequence information, such
as to or from a remote location 30 such as for remote processing
300 and/or storage 400. In various embodiments, one or more of
these components may be communicably coupled together by a hybrid
network as herein described.
[0692] The local computing resource 100 may also include or
otherwise be associated with a compiler 130 and/or a processor 150,
such as a compiler 130 configured for compiling the generated
and/or acquired data and/or data associated therewith, and a
processor 150 configured for processing the generated and/or
acquired and/or compiled data and/or controlling the system 1 and
its components as herein described. Further, the local computing
resource 100 may include a compressor unit 160 configured for
compressing data, such as generated and/or acquired primary and/or
secondary processed data, which data may be compressed, such as
prior to transfer over a local 10 and/or cloud 30 and/or hybrid
cloud based 50 network.
[0693] In particular instances, the system 1 may be configured for
subjecting the generated and/or secondarily processed data to
further processing, e.g., via a local 100 and/or a remote 300
computing resource, such as by running it through one or more
tertiary processing pipelines, such as one or more of a genome
pipeline, an epigenome pipeline, metagenome pipeline, joint
genotyping, a MuTect2 pipeline, or other tertiary processing
pipeline. Such data may then be compressed and/or stored locally
200 and/or be transferred so as to be stored remotely.
[0694] In additional instances, the system 1 may include a further
tier of processing modules, such as configured for rendering
additional processing such as for diagnosis, disease and/or
therapeutic discovery, and/or prophylaxis thereof. For instance, in
various instances, an additional layer of processing may be
provided, such as for disease diagnostics, therapeutic treatment,
and/or prophylactic prevention, such as including NIPT, NICU,
Cancer, LDT, AgBio, and other such disease diagnostics,
prophylaxis, and/or treatments employing the data generated by one
or more of the present primary and/or secondary and/or tertiary
pipelines.
[0695] Accordingly, herein presented is a system 1 for producing
and using a global hybrid cloud network 50. For instance,
presently, the cloud 30 is used primarily for storage, such as at a
remote storage location 400. In such an instance, the computing of
data is performed locally 100 by a local computing resource 150,
and where storage needs are extensive, the cloud 30 is accessed so
as to store the data generated by the local computing resource 150,
such as by use of a remote storage resource 400. Hence, generated
data is typically either wholly managed on site locally 100, or it
is totally managed off site 300, on the cloud 30.
[0696] Particularly, in a general implementation of a
bioinformatics analysis platform, the computing 150 and/or storage
200 functions are maintained locally on site, and where storage
needs exceed local storage capacity, or where there is a need for
stored data to be made available to other remote users, such data
may be transferred via internet 30 to the cloud for remote storage
400 thereby. In such an instance, where the computing resources 150
required for performance of the computing functions are minimal,
but the storage requirements extensive, the computing function 150
may be maintained locally 100, while the storage function 400 may
be maintained remotely, with the fully processed data being
transferred back and forth between the processing function 150,
such as for local processing only, and the storage function 400,
such as for the remote storage 400 of the processed data.
[0697] For instance, this may be exemplified with respect to the
sequencing function, such as with a typical NGS, where the
computing resource 150 is configured for performing the functions
required for the sequencing of the genetic material so as to
produce genetic sequenced data, e.g., reads, which data is produced
onsite 100. These reads, once generated, such as by the onsite NGS,
may then be transferred such as over the cloud network 30, such as
for storage 400 at a remote location 300 in a manner so as to be
recalled from the cloud 30 when necessary such as for further
processing, such as for the performance of one or more of secondary
and/or tertiary processing functions, that is at a location remote
from the storage facility 400, e.g., locally. In such an instance,
the local storage resource 150 serves merely as a storage cache
where data is placed while waiting transfer to or from the cloud
30, such as to or from the remote storage facility 400.
[0698] Likewise, where the computing function is extensive, such as
requiring one or more remote computer cluster cores 300 for
processing the data, and where the storage demands for storing the
processed data 200 are relatively minimal, as compared to the
computing resources 300 required to process the data, the data to
be processed may be sent, such as over the cloud 30, so as to be
processed by a remote computing resource 300, which resource may
include one or more cores or clusters of computing resources, e.g.,
one or more super computing resources. In such an instance, once
the data has been processed by the cloud based computer core 300,
the processed data may then be transferred over the cloud network
30 so as to be stored local 200 and readily available for use by
the local computing resource 150, such as for local analysis and/or
diagnostics.
[0699] This may be exemplified with respect to a typical secondary
processing function, such as where the pre-processed sequenced,
e.g., read, data that is stored locally 200 is accessed, such as by
the local computing resource 100, and transmitted over the cloud
internet 30 to a remote computing facility 300 so as to be further
processed thereby, e.g., in a secondary processing function, to
obtain processed results data that may then be sent back to the
local facility 100 for storage 200 thereby. This may be the case
where a local practitioner generates sequenced read data using a
local data generating resource 100, e.g., automated sequencer, and
then sends that data over the network 30 to a remote computing
facility 300, which then runs one or more functions on that data,
such as a Burrows-Wheeler transform or Needlemen-Wunsch and/or
Smith-Waterman alignment function on that sequence data, so as to
generate results data that may then be transmitted over the
internet 30 to the local computing resource 100 so as to be
examined thereby in one or more local administered processing
protocols and/or stored locally 200.
[0700] What is needed, however, is a seamless integration between
the engagement between local 100 and remote 300 computer processing
as well as between local 200 and remote 400 storage, such as in the
hybrid cloud 50 based system presented herein. In such an instance,
the system can be configured such that local 100 and remote 300
computing resources are configured so as to run seamlessly
together, such that data to be processed thereby can be allocated
real time to either the local 200 or the remote 300 computing
resource without paying an extensive penalty due to transfer rate
and/or in operational efficiency. This may be the case, for
instance, where the software and/or hardware to be deployed or
otherwise run by the computing resources are configured so as to
correspond to one another and/or are the same or functionally
similar, e.g., the hardware and/or software is configured in the
same manner so as to run the same algorithms in the same manner on
the generated and/or received data.
[0701] For instance, as can be seen with respect to FIG. 31A a
local computing resource 100 may be configured for generating data,
and therefore may include a data generating mechanism 110, such as
for primary data generation and/or analysis, e.g., so as to produce
a FASTQ sequence file. This data generating mechanism 110 may be a
local computer, as described herein throughout, having a processor
that may be configured to run one or more software applications
and/or may be hardwired so as to perform one or more algorithms
such as in a wired configuration on the generated and/or acquired
data. For example, the data generating mechanism 110 may be
configured for one or more of generating data, such as sequencing
data 111, which data may be sensed data 111a, such as data that is
detectable as a change in voltage, ion concentration,
electromagnetic radiation, and the like; and/or the data generating
mechanism 110 may be configured for generating and/or processing
signal, e.g., analog or digital signal data, such as data
representing one or more nucleotide identities in a sequence or
chain of associated nucleotides. In such an instance, the data
generating mechanism 110, e.g., sequencer 111, may further be
configured for preliminarily processing the generated data so as to
perform one or more base call operations 111c, such as on the data
so as to produce sequence identity data, e.g., a FASTQ file.
[0702] It is to be noted, that in this instance, the data 111 so
generated may be generated locally, such as by a local data
generating and/or computing resource 150, e.g., a sequencer on a
chip; or it may be produced remotely, e.g., by a remote computing
and/or generating resource, such as a remote NGS 300, but be
transferred over the cloud 30/50 to the local computing resource
100 such as for secondary processing 150 and/or storage thereby in
a local storage resource 200, such as while awaiting further local
processing 150. In such an instance, where the data generation
resource 300 is remote from the local processing 100 and/or storage
200 resources, the corresponding resources may be configured such
that the remote and/or local storage, remote and local processing,
and/or communicating protocols employed by each resource may be
adapted to smoothly and/or seamlessly integrate with one another,
e.g., by running the same, similar, and/or equivalent software
and/or by having the same, similar, and/or equivalent hardware
configurations, and/or employing the same communications and/or
transfer protocols, which, in some instances, may have been
implemented at the time of manufacture or later thereto.
[0703] Particularly, these functions may be implemented in a
hardwired configuration such as where the sequencing function and
the secondary processing function are maintained upon the same or
associated chip or chipset, e.g., such as where the sequencer and
secondary processor are directly interconnected on a chip, as
herein described, or may be implemented via software that has been
optimized to allow the two remote devices to communicate seamlessly
with one another. A combination of optimized hardware and software
implementations for performing the recited functions may also be
employed, as described herein. In various embodiments, the data
generating resource, such as the sequencer 111, whether implemented
in software and/or in hardware or a combination of the same, may
further be configured to include an initial tier of processors 500
such as a scheduler, various analytics, comparers, graphers,
releasers, and the like, so as to assist the data generator 111,
e.g., sequencer, in converting biological information into raw read
data, such as in a FASTQ file format 111d.
[0704] Likewise, the same may be true with respect to the
performance of the other functions that may be deployed by the
local 100 and/or remote 300 computing resources. For example, the
local computing resource 100 may include hardware and/or software
configured for performing one or more secondary tier 700 of
processing functions 112-115 on remotely and/or locally generated
data, such as genetic sequence data, in a manner that the
processing and results thereof may be seamlessly shared with one
another and/or stored thereby. Particularly, the local computing
function 100 and/or the remote computing function 300 may be
configured for generating and/or receiving primary data, such as
genetic sequence data, e.g., in a FASTQ or other like file format,
and running one or more secondary processing protocols 600 on that
generated and/or acquired data, which protocols may be implemented
in a software, hardware, or combinational format. For instance, the
data generating and/or processing resource 110 may be configured
for performing one or more of a mapping operation 112, an alignment
operation 113, or other related function 114 on the acquired or
generated data.
[0705] More particularly, the data generating resource 110 may
include a mapping engine 112, as herein described, or may otherwise
include programming for running a mapping algorithm on the genetic
sequence data, such as for performing a Burrows-Wheeler transform
and/or other algorithms for building a hash table and/or running a
hash function 112a on said data, such as for hash seed mapping, so
as to generate mapped sequence data. The data generating resource
110 may also include an alignment engine 113, as herein described,
or may otherwise include programming for running an alignment
algorithm on the genetic sequence data, e.g., mapped sequenced
data, such as for performing a gapped and/or gapless Smith-Waterman
alignment, and/or Needleman-Wunsch, or other like scoring algorithm
113a on said data, so as to generate aligned sequence data. The
data generating resource 110 may also be configured to include one
or more other modules 114 adapted to perform one or more other
processing functions on the genetic sequence data, such as on the
mapped and/or aligned sequence data, and thus may include a
suitably configured engine 114 or otherwise include programming for
running the one or more other processing functions such as a
sorting 114a, deduplication 114b, recalibration 114c, local
realignment 114d, duplicate marking 114f, Base Quality Score
Recalibration 114g function(s) and/or a compression function (such
as to produce a BAM, Reduced BAM, and/or a CRAM compression and/or
decompression file) 114e, in accordance with the methods herein
described, which processing functions may be configured as one or
more pipelines of the system 1. Likewise, the system 1 may be
configured to include a module 115 adapted for processing the data,
e.g., the sequenced, mapped, aligned, and/or sorted data in a
manner such as to produce a variant call file 116, such as in a
hardware and/or software based processing functionality. More
particularly, the system 1 may include a variant call module 115
for running one or more variant call functions, such as a Hidden
Markov Model (HMM) and/or GATK function 115a such as in a wired
configuration and/or via one or more software applications, e.g.,
either locally or remotely, and/or a converter 115b for the
same.
[0706] In particular embodiments, as set forth in FIG. 31B, the
system 1 may include a local computing function 100 that may be
configured for employing a computer processing resource 150 for
performing one or more further computer processing functions on
data generated by the system generator 110 or acquired by the
system acquisition mechanism 120 (as described below), such as by
being transferred thereto, for instance, by a third party 121, such
as via a cloud 30 or hybrid cloud network 50. For instance, a third
party analyzer 121 may deploy a remote computing resource 300 so as
to generate relevant data in need of further processing, such as
genetic sequence data or the like, which data may be communicated
to the system 1 over the network 30/50 so as to be further
processed. This may be useful, for instance, where the remote
computing resource 300 is a NGS, configured for taking raw
biological data and converting it to a digital representation
thereof, such as in the form of one or more FASTQ files containing
reads of genetic sequence data, and where further processing is
desired, such as to determine how the generated sequence of an
individual differs from that of one or more reference sequences, as
herein described, and/or it is desired to subject the results
thereof to furthered, e.g., tertiary, processing.
[0707] In such an instance, the system 1 may be adapted so as to
allow one or more parties, e.g., a primary and/or secondary and/or
third party user, to access the associated local processing
resources 100, and/or a suitably configured remote processing
resource 300 associated therewith, in a manner so as to allow the
user to perform one or more quantitative and/or qualitative
processing functions 152 on the generated and/or acquired data. For
instance, in one configuration, the system 1 may include, e.g., in
addition to primary 600 and/or secondary 600 processing pipelines,
a third tier of processing modules 700, which processing modules
may be configured for performing one or more processing functions
on the generated and/or acquired primary and/or secondary processed
data.
[0708] Particularly, in one embodiment, the system 1 may be
configured for generating and/or receiving processed genetic
sequence data 111 that has been either remotely or locally mapped
112, aligned 113, sorted 114a, and/or further processed 114 so as
to generate a variant call file 116, which variant call file may
then be subjected to further processing such as within the system
1, such as in response to a second and/or third party analytics
requests 121. More particularly, the system 1 may be configured to
receive processing requests from a third party 121, and further be
configured for performing such requested tertiary processing 700 on
the generated and/or acquired data. Specifically, the system 1 may
be configured for producing and/or acquiring genetic sequence data
111, may be configured for taking that genetic sequence data and
mapping 112, aligning 113, and/or sorting 114a it to produce one or
more variant call files (VCFs) 116, and additionally the system 1
may be configured for performing a tertiary processing function 700
on the data, e.g., with respect to the one or more VCFs. The system
1 may be configured so as to perform any form of tertiary
processing 700 on the generated and/or acquired data, such as by
subjecting it to one or more pipeline processing functions 700 such
as to generate genome data 122a, epigenome data 122b, metagenome
data 122c, and the like, including joint genotyping 122d, GATK 122e
and/or MuTect2 122f analysis pipelines. Further, the system 1 may
be configured for performing an additional tier of processing on
the generated and/or processed data, such as including one or more
of non-invasive prenatal testing (NIPT) 123a, N/P ICU 123b, cancer
related diagnostics and/or therapeutic modalities 123c, various
laboratory developed tests (LDT) 123d, agricultural biological (Ag
Bio) applications 123e, or other such health care related 123f
processing function.
[0709] Hence, in various embodiments, where a primary user may
access and/or configure the system 1 and its various components
directly, such as through direct access therewith, such as through
the local computing resource 100, as presented herein, the system 1
may also be adapted for being accessed by a secondary party, such
as is connected to the system 1 via a local network or intranet
connection 10 so as to configure and run the system 1 within the
local environment. Additionally, in certain embodiments, as
presented in FIG. 31B, the system may be adapted for being accessed
and/or configured by a third party 121, such as over an associated
hybrid-cloud network 50 connecting the third party 121 to the
system 1, such as through an application program interface (API),
accessible as through one or more graphical user interface (GUI)
components. Such a GUI may be configured to allow the third party
user to access the system 1, and using the API configure the
various components of the system, the modules, associated
pipelines, and other associated data generating and/or processing
functionalities so as to run only those system components necessary
and/or useful to the third party and/or requested or desired to be
run thereby.
[0710] Accordingly, in various instances, the system 1 as herein
presented may be adapted so as to be configurable by a primary,
secondary, or tertiary user of the system. In such an instance, the
system 1 may be adapted to allow the user to configure the system 1
and thereby to arrange its components in such a manner as to deploy
one, all, or a selection of the analytical system resources, e.g.,
152, to be run on data that is either generated, acquired, or
otherwise transferred to the system, e.g., by the primary,
secondary, or third party user, such that the system 1 runs only
those portions of the system necessary or useful for running the
analytics requested by the user to obtain the desired results
thereof. For example, for these and other such purposes, an API may
be included within the system 1 wherein the API is configured so as
to include or otherwise be operably associated with a graphical
user interface (GUI) including an operable menu and/or a related
list of system function calls from which the user can select and/or
otherwise make so as to configure and operate the system and its
components as desired.
[0711] In such an instance, the GUI menu and/or system function
calls may direct the user selectable operations of one or more of a
first tier of operations 600 including: sequencing 111, mapping
112, aligning 113, sorting 114a, variant calling 115, and/or other
associated functions 114 in accordance with the teachings herein,
such as with relation to the primary and/or secondary processing
functions herein described. Further, where desired the GUI menu
and/or system function calls may direct the operations of one or
more of a second tier of operations 700 including: a genome
pipeline 122a, epigenome pipeline 122b, metagenome pipeline 122c, a
joint genotyping pipeline 122d, GATK 122e and/or MuTect2 122f
analysis pipelines. Furthermore, where desired the GUI menu and
system function calls may direct the user selectable operations of
one or more of a third tier of operations 800 including:
non-invasive prenatal testing (NIPT) 123a, N/P ICU 123b, cancer
related diagnostics and/or therapeutic modalities 123c, various
laboratory developed tests (LDT) 123d, agricultural biological (Ag
Bio) applications 123e, or other such health care related 123f
processing functions.
[0712] Accordingly, the menu and system function calls may include
one or more primary, secondary, and/or tertiary processing
functions, so as to allow the system and/or its component parts to
be configured such as with respect to performing one or more data
analysis pipelines as selected and configured by the user. In such
an instance, the local computing resource 100 may be configured to
correspond to and/or mirror the remote computing resource 300,
and/or likewise the local storage resource 200 may be configured to
correspond and/or mirror the remote storage resource 400 so that
the various components of the system may be run and/or the data
generated thereby may be stored either locally or remotely in a
seamless distributed manner as chosen by the use of the system 1.
Additionally, in particular embodiments, the system 1 may be made
accessible to third parties, for running proprietary analysis
protocols 121a on the generated and/or processed data, such as by
running through an artificial intelligence interface designed to
find correlations there between.
[0713] The system 1 may be configured so as to perform any form of
tertiary processing on the generated and/or acquired data. Hence,
in various embodiments, a primary, secondary, or tertiary user may
access and/or configure any level of the system 1 and its various
components either directly, such as through direct access with the
computing resource 100, indirectly, such as via a local network
connection 10, or over an associated hybrid-cloud network 50
connecting the party to the system 1, such as through an
appropriately configured API having the appropriate permissions. In
such an instance, the system components may be presented as a menu,
such as a GUI selectable menu, where the user can select from all
the various processing and storage options desired to be run on the
user presented data. Further, in various instances, the user may
upload their own system protocols so as to be adopted and run by
the system so as to process various data in a manner designed and
selected for by the user. In such an instance, the GUI and
associated API will allow the user to access the system 1 and using
the API add to and configure the various components of the system,
the modules, associated pipelines, and other associated data
generating and/or processing functionalities so as to run only
those system components necessary and/or useful to the party and/or
requested or desired to be run thereby.
[0714] Where the above with respect to FIGS. 31A and 31B are
directed to data generation 110 such as local data generation 100,
employing a local computing resource 150; as indicated above, and
with respect to FIG. 31C, one or more of the above demarcated
modules, and their respective functions and/or associated
resources, may be configured for being performed remotely, such as
by a remote computing resource 300, and further be adapted to be
transmitted to the system 1, such as in a seamless transfer
protocol over a cloud based internet connection 30/50, such as via
a suitably configured data acquisition mechanism 120.
[0715] Accordingly, in such an instance, the local computing
resource 100 may include a data acquisition mechanism 120, such as
configured for transmitting and/or receiving such acquired data
and/or associated information. For instance, the system 1 may
include a data acquisition mechanism 120 that is configured in a
manner so as to allow the continued processing and/or storage of
data to take place in a seamless and steady manner, such as over a
cloud or hybrid based network 30/50 where the processing functions
are distributed both locally 100 and/or remotely 300, and likewise
where one or more of the results of such processing may be stored
locally 200 and/or remotely 400, such that the system seamlessly
allocates to which local or remote resource a given job is to be
sent for processing and/or storage regardless of where the resource
is physically positioned. Such distributed processing,
transferring, and acquisition may include one or more of sequencing
111, mapping 112, aligning 113, sorting 114a, duplicate marking
114c, deduplication, recalibration 114d, local realignment 114e,
Base Quality Score Recalibration 114f function(s) and/or a
compression function 114g, as well as a variant call function 116,
as herein described. Where stored locally 200 or remotely 400, the
processed data, in whatever state it is in the process may be made
available to either the local 100 or remote processing 300
resources, such as for further processing prior to re-transmission
and/or re-storage.
[0716] Specifically, the system 1 may be configured for producing
and/or acquiring genetic sequence data 111, may be configured for
taking that genetic sequence data 111 and processing it locally
150, or transferring the data over a suitably configured cloud 30
or hybrid cloud 50 network such as to a remote processing facility
for remote processing 300. Further, once processed the system 1 may
be configured for storing the processed data remotely 400 or
transferring it back for local storage 200. Accordingly, the system
1 may be configured for either local or remote generation and/or
processing of data, such as where the generation and/or processing
steps may be from a first tier of primary and/or secondary
processing functions 600, which tier may include one or more of:
sequencing 111, mapping 112, aligning 113, and/or sorting 114a so
as to produce one or more variant call files (VCFs) 116. Likewise,
the system 1 may be configured for either local or remote
generation and/or processing of data, such as where the generation
and/or processing steps may be from a second tier of tertiary
processing functions 700, which tier may include one or more of
generating and/or acquiring data pursuant to a genome pipeline
122a, epigenome pipeline 122b, metagenome pipeline 122c, a joint
genotyping pipeline 122d, GATK 122e and/or MuTect2 122f analysis
pipeline. Additionally, the system 1 may be configured for either
local or remote generation and/or processing of data, such as where
the generation and/or processing steps may be from a third tier of
tertiary processing functions 800, which tier may include one or
more of generating and/or acquiring data related to and including:
non-invasive prenatal testing (NIPT) 123a, N/P ICU 123b, cancer
related diagnostics and/or therapeutic modalities 123c, various
laboratory developed tests (LDT) 123d, agricultural biological (Ag
Bio) applications 123e, or other such health care related 123f
processing functions.
[0717] In particular embodiments, as set forth in FIG. 31C, the
system 1 may further be configured for allowing one or more parties
to access the system and transfer information to or from the
associated local processing 100 and/or remote 300 processing
resources as well as to store information either locally 200 or
remotely 400 in a manner that allows the user to choose what
information get processed and/or stored where on the system 1. In
such an instance, a user can not only decide what primary,
secondary, and/or tertiary processing functions get performed on
generated and/or acquired data, but also how those resources get
deployed, and/or where the results of such processing gets stored.
For instance, in one configuration, the user may select whether
data is generated either locally or remotely, or a combination
thereof, whether it is subjected to secondary processing, and if
so, which modules of secondary processing it is subjected to,
and/or which resource runs which of those processes, and further
may determine whether the then generated or acquired data is
further subjected to tertiary processing, and if so, which modules
and/or which tiers of tertiary processing it is subjected to,
and/or which resource runs which of those processes, and likewise,
where the results of those processes are stored for each step of
the operations.
[0718] Particularly, in one embodiment, the user may configure the
system 1 of FIG. 31A so that the generating of genetic sequence
data 111 takes place remotely, such as by an NGS, but the secondary
processing 600 of the data occurs locally 100. In such an instance,
the user can then determine which of the secondary processing
functions occur locally 100, such as by selecting the processing
functions, such as mapping 112, aligning 113, sorting 111, and/or
producing a VCF 116, from a menu of available processing options.
The user may then select whether the locally processed data is
subjected to tertiary processing, and if so which modules are
activated so as to further process the data, and whether such
tertiary processing occurs locally 100 or remotely 300. Likewise,
the user can select various options for the various tiers of
tertiary processing options, and where any generated and/or
acquired data is to be stored, either locally 200 or remotely 400,
at any given step or time of operation.
[0719] More particularly, a primary user may configure the system
to receive processing requests from a third party, where the third
party may configure the system so as for performing such requested
primary, secondary, and/or tertiary processing on generated and/or
acquired data. Specifically, the user or second or third party may
configure the system 1 for producing and/or acquiring genetic
sequence data, either locally 100 or remotely 200, may configure
the system 1 for taking that genetic sequence data and mapping,
aligning, and/or sorting it, either locally or remotely, so as to
produce one or more variant call files (VCFs), and additionally may
configure the system for performing a tertiary processing function
on the data, e.g., with respect to the one or more VCFs, either
locally or remotely. More particular still, the user or other party
may configure the system 1 so as to perform any form of tertiary
processing on the generated and/or acquired data, and where that
processing is to occur in the system. Hence, in various
embodiments, the first, second, and/or third party 121 user may
access and/or configure the system 1 and its various components
directly such as by directly accessing the local computing function
100, via a local network connection 10, or over an associated
hybrid-cloud network 50 connecting the party 121 to the system 1,
such as through an application program interface (API), accessible
as through one or more graphical user interface (GUI) components.
In such an instance, the third party user may access the system 1
and use the API to configure the various components of the system,
the modules, associated pipelines, and other associated data
generating and/or processing functionalities so as to run only
those system components necessary and/or useful to the third party
and/or requested or desired to be run thereby, and further allocate
which computing resources will provide the requested processing,
and where the results data will be stored.
[0720] Accordingly, in various instances, the system 1 may be
configurable by a primary, secondary, or tertiary user of the
system who can configure the system 1 so as to arrange its
components in such a manner as to deploy one, all, or a selection
of the analytical system resources to be run on data that the user
either directly generates, causes to be generated by the system 1,
or causes to be transferred to the system 1, such as over a network
associated therewith, such as via the data acquisition mechanism
120. In such a manner, the system 1 is configurable so as to only
run those portions of the system necessary or useful for the
analytics desired and/or requested by the requesting party. For
example, for these and other such purposes, an API may be included
wherein the API is configured so as to include a GUI operable menu
and/or a related list of system function calls that from which the
user can select so as to configure and operate the system as
desired. Additionally, in particular embodiments, the system 1 may
be made accessible to third parties, such as governmental
regulators, such as the Federal Drug Administration (FDA) 70b, or
allow third parties to collate, compile, and/or access a data base
of genetic information derived or otherwise acquired and/or
compiled by the system 1 so as to form an electronic medical
records (EMR) database 70a and/or to allow governmental access
and/or oversight of the system, such as the FDA for Drug
Development Evaluation. The system 1 may also be set up to
conglomerate, compile, and/or annotate the data 70c and/or allow
other high level users access thereto.
[0721] Accordingly, in various embodiments, as can be seen with
respect to FIG. 32A, a hybrid cloud 50 is provided wherein the
hybrid cloud is configured for connecting a local computing 100
and/or storage resource 200 with a remote computing 300 and/or
storage 400 resource, such as where the local and remote resources
are separated one from the other distally, spatially,
geographically, and the like. In such an instance, the local and
distal resources may be configured for communicating with one
another in a manner so as to share information, such as digital
data, seamlessly between the two. Particularly, the local resources
may be configured for performing one or more types of processing on
the data, such as prior to transmission across the hybrid network
50, and the remote resources may be configured for performing one
or more types of further processing of the data.
[0722] For instance, in one particular configuration, the system 1
may be configured such that a generating and/or analyzing function
152 is configured for being performed locally 100 by a local
computing resource, such as for the purpose of performing a primary
and/or secondary processing function, so as to generate and/or
process genetic sequence data, as herein described. Additionally,
in various embodiments, the local resources may be configured for
performing one or more tertiary processing functions on the data,
such as one or more of genome, exome, and/or epigenome analysis, or
a cancer, microbiome, and/or other DNA/RNA processing analysis.
Further, where such processed data is meant to be transferred, such
as to a remote computing 300 and/or storage 400 resource, the data
may be transformed such as by a suitably configured transformer
151, which transformer 151 may be configured for indexing,
converting, compressing, and/or encrypting the data, such as prior
to transfer over the hybrid network 50.
[0723] In particular instances, such as where the generated and
processed data is transferred to a remote computing resource 300
for further processing, such processing may be of a global nature
and may include receiving data from a plurality of local computing
resources 100, collating such pluralities of data, annotating the
data, and comparing the same, such as to interpret the data,
determine trends thereof, analyzing the same for various
biomarkers, and aiding in the development of diagnostics,
therapeutics, and/or prophylactics. Accordingly, in various
instances, the remote computing resource 300 may be configured as a
data processing hub, such as where data from a variety of sources
may be transferred, processed, and/or stored while waiting to be
transformed and/or transferred, such as by being accessed by the
local computing resource 100. More particularly, the remote
processing hub 300 may be configured for receiving data from a
plurality of resources 100, processing the same, and distributing
the processed data back to the variety of local resources 100 so as
to allow for collaboration amongst researchers and/or resources
100. Such collaboration may include various data sharing protocols,
and may additionally include preparing the data to be transferred,
such as by allowing a user of the system 1 to select amongst
various security protocols and/or privacy settings so as to control
how the data will be prepared for transfer.
[0724] In one particular instance, as presented in FIG. 32B, a
local computing 100 and/or storage 200 resource is provided, such
as on-site at a user's location. The computing resource 100 and/or
storage 200 resource may be coupled to a data generating resource
121, such as an NGS or sequencer on a chip, as herein described,
such as over a direct or an intranet connection 10, where the
sequencer 121 is configured for generating genetic sequencing data,
such as FASTQ files. For instance, the sequencer 121 may be part of
and/or housed in the same apparatus as that of the computing
resource 100 and/or storage unit 200, so as to have a direct
communicable and/or operable connection therewith, or the sequencer
121 and computing resource 100 and/or storage resource 200 may be
part of separate apparatuses from one another, but housed in the
same facility, and thus connected over a cabled or intranet 10
connection. In some instances, the sequencer 121 may be housed in a
separate facility than that of the computing 100 and/or storage 200
resource and thus may be connected over an internet 30 or hybrid
cloud connection 50.
[0725] In such instances, the genetic sequence data may be
processed 100 and stored locally 200, prior to being transformed,
by a suitably configured transformer 151, or the generated sequence
data may be transmitted directly to one or more of the transformer
151 and/or analyzer 152, such as over a suitably configured local
connection 10, intranet 30, or hybrid cloud connection 50, as
described above such as prior to being processed locally.
Particularly, like the data generating resource 121, the
transformer 151 and/or analyzer 152 may be part of and/or housed in
the same apparatus as that of the computing resource 100 and/or
storage unit 200, so as to have a direct communicable and/or
operable connection therewith, or the transformer 151 and/or
analyzer 152 and computing resource 100 and/or storage resource 200
may be part of separate apparatuses from one another, but housed in
the same facility, and thus connected over a cabled or intranet 10
connection. In some instances, the transformer 151 and/or analyzer
152 may be housed in a separate facility than that of the computing
100 and/or storage 200 resource and thus may be connected over an
internet 30 or hybrid cloud connection 50.
[0726] In such instances, the transformer 151 may be configured for
preparing the data to be transmitted either prior to analysis or
post analysis, such as by a suitably configured computing resource
100 and/or analyzer 152. For instance, the analyzer 152 may perform
a secondary and/or tertiary processing function on the data, as
herein described, such as for analyzing the generated sequence data
with respect to determining its genomic and/or exomic
characteristics 152a, its epigenomic features 152b, any various DNA
and/or RNA markers of interests and/or indicators of cancer 152c,
and its relationships to one or more microbiomes 152d, as well as
one or more other secondary and/or tertiary processes as described
herein. As indicated, the generated and/or processed data may be
transformed, such as by a suitably configured transformer 151 such
as prior to transmission throughout the system 1 from one component
thereof to another, such as over a direct, local 10, internet 30,
or hybrid cloud 50 connection. Such transformation may include one
or more of conversion 151d, such as where the data is converted
from one form to another; comprehension 151c, including the coding,
decoding, and/or otherwise taking data from an incomprehensible
form and transforming it to a comprehensible form, or from one
comprehensible form to another; indexing 151b, such as including
compiling and/or collating the generated data from one or more
resources, and making it locatable and/or searchable, such as via a
generated index; and/or encryption 151a, such as creating a
lockable and unlockable, password protected dataset, such as prior
to transmission over an internet 30 and/or hybrid cloud 50.
[0727] Hence, in these and/other such instances, the hybrid cloud
50 may be configured for allowing seamless and protected
transmission of data throughout the components of the system, such
as where the hybrid cloud 50 is adapted to allow the various users
of the system to configure its component parts and/or the system
itself so as to meet the research, diagnostic, therapeutic and/or
prophylactic discovery and/or development needs of the user.
Particularly, the hybrid cloud 50 and/or the various components of
the system 1 may be operably connected with compatible and/or
corresponding API interfaces that are adapted to allow a user to
remotely configure the various components of the system 1 so as to
deploy the resources desired in the manner desired, and further to
do so either locally, remotely, or a combination of the same, such
as based on the demands of the system and the particulars of the
analyses being performed, all the while being enabled to
communicate in a secured, encryptable environment. Another
exemplary embodiment of the hybrid cloud system, as herein
presented, is depicted in FIG. 32C.
[0728] For instance, as can be seen with respect to FIG. 33, the
system 1 may be a multi-tiered and/or multiplexed bioanalytical
processing platform that includes layers of processing units each
having one or more processing pipelines that may be deployed in a
systematic and/or concurrent and/or sequential manner so as to
process genetic information from its primary processing stage
400/500, so as to produce genetic sequence data, such as in one or
more FASTQ files; to its secondary processing stage 600, so as to
produce one or more variant call files; and further to take the one
or more variant call files, or other associated processed data, and
perform one or more other operations thereon such as for the
purposes of performing one or more diagnostics and/or prophylactic
and/or therapeutic procedures there with, such as in response to a
third party request 121 and/or in response to data submitted by the
third party 121. Such further processing may include various
pipeline protocols 700, such as configured so as to run analytics
on the determined genetic variation data of one or more subjects,
including genome, epigenome, metagenome, and/or genotyping
analytics, such as in one tier, and/or various disease diagnostic
and/or research protocols 800, which may include one or more of
NIPT, NICU, cancer, LDT, biological, AgBio applications and the
like. Particularly, the system 1 may further be adapted so as to
receive and/or transmit various data 900 related to the procedures
and processes herein such as related to electronic medical records
(EMR) data, Federal Drug Administration testing and/or structuring
data, data relevant to annotation, and the like. Such data may be
useful so as to allow a user to make and/or allow access to
generated medical, diagnostic, therapeutic, and/or prophylactic
modalities developed through use of the system 1 and/or made
accessible thereby.
[0729] Hence, one or more, e.g., all, of these functions therefore
may be performed locally, e.g., on site 10, on the cloud 30, or via
controlled access through the hybrid cloud 50. In such an instance,
developer environment is created that allows the user to control
the functionality of the system to meet his or her individual needs
and/or to allow access thereto for others seeking the same or
similar results. Consequently, the various components, processes,
procedures, tools, tiers, and hierarchies of the system may be
configurable such as via a GUI interface that allows the user to
select which components to be run on which data at what time in
what order in accordance with the user determined desires and
protocols so as to generate relevant data and connections between
data that may be securely communicated throughout the system
whether locally or remotely. As indicated, these components can be
made to communicate seamlessly together regardless of location
and/or how connected, such as by being configurable so as to run
the same or similar processes in the same or similar manner such as
by employing corresponding API interfaces dispersed throughout the
system the employment of which allows the various users to
configure the various components to run the various procedures in
like manner.
[0730] For instance, an API may be defined in a header file with
respect to the processes to be run by each particular component of
the system 1, wherein the header describes the functionality and
determines how to call a function, such as the parameters that are
passed, the inputs received and outputs transmitted, and the manner
in which this occurs, what comes in and how, what goes out and how,
and what gets returned, and in what manner. For example, in various
embodiments, one or more of the components and/or elements thereof,
which may form one or more pipelines of one or more tiers of the
system may be configurable such as by instructions entered by a
user and/or one or more second and/or third party applications.
These instructions may be communicated to the system via the
corresponding APIs which communicate with one or more of the
various drivers of the system, instructing the driver(s) as to
which parts of the system, e.g., which modules and/or which
processes thereof are to be activated, when, and in what order,
given a preselected parameter configuration, which may be
determined by a user selectable interface, e.g., GUI.
[0731] As described above, the one or more DMA drivers of the
system 1 may be configured to run in corresponding fashion, such as
at the kernel level of each component and the system 1 as a whole.
In such an instance, one or more of the provided kernel's may have
their own very low level, basic API that provides access to the
hardware and functions of the various components of the system 1 so
as to access applicable registers and modules so as to configure
and direct the processes and the manners in which they are run on
the system 1. Particularly, on top of this layer, a virtual layer
of service functions may be built so as to form the building blocks
that are used for a multiplicity of functions that send files down
to the kernel(s) and get results back, encodes, encrypts, and/or
transmits the relevant data and further performs more higher level
functions thereon. On top of that layer an additional layer may be
built that uses those service functions, which may be an API level
that a user may interface with, which may be adapted to function
primarily for configuration of the system 1 as a whole or its
component parts, downloading files, and uploading results, which
files and/or results may be transmitted throughout the system
either locally or globally.
[0732] Such configuration may include communicating with registers
and also performing function calls. For example, as described
herein above, one or more function calls necessary and/or useful to
perform the steps, e.g., sequentially, to execute a mapping and/or
aligning and/or sorting and/or variant call, or other secondary
and/or tertiary function as herein described may be implemented in
accordance with the hardware operations and/or related algorithms
so as to generate the necessary processes and perform the required
steps.
[0733] Specifically, because in certain embodiments one or more of
these operations may be based on one or more structures, the
various structures needed for implementing these operations may
need to be constructed. There will therefore be a function call
that performs this function, which function call will cause the
requisite structure to be built for the performance of the
operation, and because of this a call will accept a file name of
where the structure parameter files are stored and will then
generate one or more data files that contain and/or configure the
requisite structure. Another function call may be to load the
structure that was generated via the respective algorithm and
transfer that down to the memory on the chip and/or system 1,
and/or put it at the right spot where the hardware is expecting
them to be. Of course, various data will need to be downloaded onto
the chip and/or otherwise be transferred to the system generator,
as well for the performance of the various other selected functions
of the system 1, and the configuration manager can perform these
functions, such as by loading everything that needs to be there in
order for the modules of pipelines of the tiers of the platforms of
the chip and/or system as a whole to perform their functions, into
a memory on, attached, or otherwise associated with the chip and/or
system.
[0734] Additionally, the API may be configured to allow one or more
chips of the system 1 to interface with the circuit board of the
sequencer 121, the computing resource 100/300, transformer 151,
analyzer 152, interpreter 310, collaborator 320, or other system
component, when included therewith, so as to receive the FASTQ
and/or other generated and/or processed genetic sequencing files
directly from the sequencer or other processing component such as
immediately once they have been generated and/or processed and then
transfers that information to the configuration manager which then
directs that information to the appropriate memory banks in the
hardware and/or software that makes that information available to
the pertinent modules of the hardware, software, and/or system as a
whole so that they can perform their designated functions on that
information so as to call bases, map, align, sort, etc. the sample
DNA/RNA with respect to the reference genome, and or to run
associated secondary and/or tertiary processing operations
thereon.
[0735] Accordingly, in various embodiments, a client level
interface (CLI) may be included wherein the CLI may allow the user
to call one or more of these functions directly. In various
embodiments, the CLI may be a software application, e.g., having a
GUI, that is adapted to configure the accessibility and/or use of
the hardware and/or various other software applications of the
system. The CLI, therefore, may be a program that accepts
instructions, e.g., arguments, and makes functionality available
simply by calling an application program. As indicated above, the
CLI can be command line based or GUI (graphical user interface)
based. The line based commands happen at a level below the GUI,
where the GUI includes a windows based file manager with click on
function boxes that delineate which modules, which pipelines, which
tiers, of which platforms will be used and the parameters of their
use. For example, in operation, if instructed, the CLI will locate
the reference, will determine if a hash table and/or index needs to
be generated, or if already generated locate where it is stored,
and direct the uploading of the generated hash table and/or index,
etc. These types of instructions may appear as user options at the
GUI that the user can select the associated chip(s)/system 1 to
perform.
[0736] Furthermore, a library may be included wherein the library
may include pre-existing, editable, configuration files, such as
files orientated to the typical user selected functioning of the
hardware and/or associated software, such as with respect to a
portion or whole genome and/or protein analysis, for instance, for
various analyses, such as personal medical histories and ancestry
analysis, or disease diagnostics, or drug discovery, therapeutics,
and/or one or more of the other analytics, etc. These types of
parameters may be preset, such as for performing such analyses, and
may be stored in the library. For example, if the platform herein
described is employed such as for NIPT, NICU, Cancer, LDT, AgBio,
and related research on a collective level, the preset parameters
may be configured differently than if the platform were directed
simply to researching genomic and/or genealogy based research, such
as on an individual level.
[0737] More particularly, for specific diagnosis of an individual,
accuracy may be an important factor, therefore, the parameters of
the system may be set to ensure increased accuracy albeit in
exchange for possibly a decrease in speed. However, for other
genomics applications, speed may be the key determinant and
therefore the parameters of the system may be set to maximize
speed, which however may sacrifice some accuracy. Accordingly, in
various embodiments, often used parameter settings for performing
different tasks can be preset into the library to facilitate ease
of use. Such parameter settings may also include the necessary
software applications and/or hardware configurations employed in
running the system 1. For instance, the library may contain the
code that executes the API, and may further include sample files,
scripts, and any other ancillary information necessary for running
the system 1. Hence, the library may be configured for compiling
software for running the API as well as various of the
executables.
[0738] Additionally, as can be seen with respect to FIG. 32C, the
system may be configured such that one or more of the system
components may be performed remotely, such as where the system
component is adapted to run one or more comparative functions on
the data, such as an interpretive function 310 and/or collaborative
function 320. For instance, where an interpretive protocol is
employed on the data, the interpretive protocol 312 may be
configured to analyze and draw conclusions about the data and/or
determine various relationships with respect thereto, one or more
other analytical protocols may also be performed and include
annotating the data 311, performing a diagnostic 313 on the data,
and/or analyzes the data, so as to determine the presence or
absence of one or more biomarkers 314. Additionally, where a
collaborative protocol is performed, the system 1 may be configured
for providing an electronic forum where data sharing 321 may occur,
which data sharing protocol may include user selectable security
324 and/or privacy 322 settings that allow the data to be encrypted
and/or password protected, so that the identity and sources of the
data may be hidden from a user of the system 1. In particular
instances, the system 1 may be configured so as to allow a 3.sup.rd
party analyzer 121 to run virtual simulations on the data. Further,
one generated, the interpreted data and/or the data subjected to
one or more collaborative analyses may be stored either remotely
400 or locally 200 so as to be made available to the remote 300 or
local 100 computing resources, such as for further processing
and/or analysis.
[0739] In another aspect, as can be seen with respect to FIG. 34, a
method for using the system to generate one or more data files upon
which one or more secondary and/or tertiary processing protocols
may be run is provided. For instance, the method may include
providing a genomic infrastructure such as for one or more of
onsite, cloud-based, and/or hybrid genomic and/or bioinformatics
generation and/or processing and/or analysis.
[0740] In such an instance, the genomic infrastructure may include
a bioinformatics processing platform having one or more memories
that are configured to store one or more configurable processing
structures for configuring the system so as to be able to perform
one or more analytical processing functions on data, such as data
including a genomic sequence of interest or processed result data
pertaining thereto. The memory may include the genomic sequence of
interest to be processed, e.g., once generated and/or acquired, one
or more genetic reference sequences, and/or may additionally
include an index of the one or more genetic reference sequences
and/or a list of splice junctions pertaining thereto. The system
may also include an input having a platform application programming
interface (API) for selecting from a list of options one or more of
the configurable processing structures, such as for configuring the
system, such as by selecting which processing functions of the
system will be run on the data, e.g., the pre- or processed genomic
sequences of interest. A graphical user interface (GUI) may also be
present, such as operably associated with the API, so as to present
a menu by which a user can select which of the available options he
or she desires to be run on the data.
[0741] The system may be implemented on one or more integrated
circuits that may be formed of one or more sets of configurable,
e.g., preconfigured and/or hardwired, digital logic circuits that
may be interconnected by a plurality of physical electrical
interconnects. In such an instance, the integrated circuit may have
an input, such as a memory interface, for receiving one or a
plurality of the configurable structure protocols, e.g., from the
memory, and may further be adapted for implementing the one or more
structures on the integrated circuit in accordance with the
configurable processing structure protocols. The memory interface
of the input may also be configured for receiving the genomic
sequence data, which may be in the form of a plurality of reads of
genomic data. The interface may also be adapted for accessing the
one or more genetic reference sequences and the index(es).
[0742] In various instances, the digital logic circuits may be
arranged as a set of processing engines that are each formed of a
subset of the digital logic circuits. The digital logic circuits
and/or processing engines may be configured so as to perform one or
more pre-configurable steps of a primary, secondary, and/or
tertiary processing protocol so as to generate the plurality of
reads of genomic sequence data, and/or for processing the plurality
of reads of genomic data, such as according to the genetic
reference sequence(s) or other genetic sequence derived
information. The integrated circuit may further have an output so
as to output result data from the primary, secondary, and/or
tertiary processing, such as according to the platform application
programming interface (API).
[0743] Particularly, in various embodiments, the digital logic
circuits and/or the sets of processing engines may form a plurality
of genomic processing pipelines, such as where each pipeline may
have an input that is defined according to the platform application
programming interface so as to receive the result data from the
primary and/or secondary processing by the bioinformatics
processing platform, and for performing one or more analytic
processes thereon so as to produce result data. Additionally, the
plurality of genomic processing pipelines may have a common
pipeline API that defines a secondary and/or tertiary processing
operation to be run on the result data from the primary and/or
secondary processed data, such as where each of the plurality of
genomic processing pipelines is configured to perform a subset of
the secondary and/or tertiary processing operations and to output
result data of the secondary and/or tertiary processing according
to the pipeline API.
[0744] In such instances, a plurality of the genomic analysis
applications may be stored in the memory and/or an associated
searchable application repository, such as where each of the
plurality of genomic analysis applications are accessible via an
electronic medium by a computer such as for execution by a computer
processor, so as to perform a targeted analysis of the genomic pre-
or post processed data from the result data of the primary,
secondary, and/or tertiary processing, such as by one or more of
the plurality of genomic processing pipelines. In particular
instances, each of the plurality of genomic analysis applications
may be defined by the API and may be configured for receiving the
result data of the primary, secondary, and/or tertiary processing,
and/or for performing the target analysis of the pre- or post
processed genomic data, and for outputting the result data from the
targeted analysis to one of one or more genomic databases.
[0745] The method may additionally include, selecting, e.g., from
the menu of the GUI, one or more genomic processing pipelines from
a plurality of the available genomic processing pipelines of the
system; selecting one or more genomic analysis applications from
the plurality of genomic analysis applications that are stored in
an application repository; and executing, using a computer
processor, the one or more selected genomic analysis applications
to perform a targeted analysis of genomic data from the result data
of the primary, secondary, and/or tertiary processing.
[0746] Additionally, in various embodiments, all of mapping,
aligning, and sorting, may take place on the chip, and local
realignment, duplicate marking, base quality score recalibration
may, and/or one or more of the tertiary processing protocols and/or
pipelines, in various embodiments, also take place on the chip, and
in various instances, various compression protocols, such as BAM
and CRAM, may also take place on the chip. However, once the
primary, secondary, and/or tertiary processed data has been
produced, it may be compressed, such as prior to being transmitted,
such as by being sent across the system, being sent up to the
cloud, such as for the performance of the variant calling module, a
secondary, tertiary, and/or other processing platform, such as
including an interpretive and/or collaborative analysis protocol.
This might be useful especially given the fact that variant
calling, including the tertiary processing thereof, can be a moving
target, e.g., there is not one standardized agreed upon algorithm
that the industry uses.
[0747] Hence, different algorithms can be employed, such as by
remote users, so as to achieve a different type of result, as
desired, and as such having a cloud based module for the
performance of this function may be useful for allowing the
flexibility to select which algorithm is useful at any particular
given moment, and also as for serial and/or parallel processing.
Accordingly, any one of the modules disclosed herein can be
implemented as either hardware, e.g., on the chip, or software,
e.g., on the cloud, but in certain embodiments, all of the modules
may be configured so that their function may be performed on the
chip, or all of the modules may be configured so that their
function may be performed remotely, such as on the cloud, or there
will be a mixture of modules wherein some are positioned on one or
more chips and some are positioned on the cloud. Further, as
indicated, in various embodiments, the chip(s) itself may be
configured so as to function in conjunction with, and in some
embodiments, in immediate operation with a genetic sequencer, such
as an NGS and/or sequencer on a chip.
[0748] More specifically, in various embodiments, an apparatus of
the disclosure may be a chip, such as a chip that is configured for
processing genomics data, such as by employing a pipeline of data
analysis modules. According, as can be seen with respect to FIG.
36, a genomics pipeline processor chip 100 is provided along with
associated hardware of a genomics pipeline processor system 10. The
chip 100 has one or more connections to external memory 102 (at
"DDR3 Mem Controller"), and a connection 104 (e.g., "PCIe
Interface") to the outside world, such as a host computer 106, for
example. A crossbar 108 (e.g., switch) provides access to the
memory interfaces to various requestors. DMA engines 110 transfer
data at high speeds between the host and the processor chip's 100
external memories 102 (via the crossbar 108), and/or between the
host and a central controller 112. The central controller 112
controls chip operations, especially coordinating the efforts of
multiple processing engines. The processing engines are formed of a
set of hardwired digital logic circuits that are interconnected by
physical electrical interconnects, and are organized into engine
clusters 114. In some implementations, the engines in one cluster
share one crossbar port, via an arbiter. The central controller 112
has connections to each of the engine clusters. Each engine cluster
114 has a number of processing engines for processing genomic data,
including a mapper 120 (or mapping module), an aligner 122 (or
aligning module), and a sorter 124 (or sorting module). An engine
cluster 114 can include other engines or modules, such as a variant
caller module, as well.
[0749] In accordance with one data flow model consistent with
implementations described herein, the host sends commands and data
via the DMA engines 110 to the central controller 112, which
load-balances the data to the processing engines. The processing
engines return processed data to the central controller 112, which
streams it back to the host via the DMA engines 110. This data flow
model is suited for mapping and alignment.
[0750] In accordance with an alternative data flow model consistent
with implementations described herein, the host streams data into
the external memory, either directly via DMA engines 110 and the
crossbar 108, or via the central controller 112. The host sends
commands to the central controller 112, which sends commands to the
processing engines, which instruct the processing engines as to
what data to process. The processing engines access input data from
the external memory, process it, and write results back to the
external memory, reporting status to the central controller 112.
The central controller 112 either streams the result data back to
the host from the external memory, or notifies the host to fetch
the result data itself via the DMA engines 110.
[0751] FIG. 37 illustrates a genomics pipeline processor system 20,
showing a full complement of processing engines inside an engine
cluster 214. The pipeline processor system 20 may include one or
more engine clusters 214. In some implementations, the pipeline
processor system 20 includes four our more engine clusters 214. The
processing engines or processing engine types can include, without
limitation, a mapper, an aligner, a sorter, a local realigner, a
base quality recalibrater, a duplicate marker, a variant caller, a
compressor and/or a decompressor. In some implementations, each
engine cluster 214 has one of each processing engine type.
Accordingly, all processing engines of the same type can access the
crossbar 208 simultaneously, through different crossbar ports,
because they are each in a different engine cluster 214. Not every
processing engine type needs to be formed in every engine cluster
214. Processing engine types that require massive parallel
processing or memory bandwidth, such as the mapper (and attached
aligner(s)) and sorter, may appear in every engine cluster of the
pipeline processor system 20. Other engine types may appear in only
one or some of the engine clusters 214, as needed to satisfy their
performance requirements or the performance requirements of the
pipeline processor system 20.
[0752] FIG. 38 illustrates a genomics pipeline processor system 30,
showing, in addition to the engine clusters described above, one or
more embedded central processing units (CPUs) 302. Examples of such
embedded CPUs include Snapdragons.RTM. or standard ARM.RTM. cores.
These CPUs execute fully programmable bio-IT algorithms, such as
advanced variant calling. Such processing is accelerated by
computing functions in the engine clusters, which can be called by
the CPU cores 302 as needed. Furthermore, even engine-centric
processing, such as mapping and alignment, can be managed by the
CPU cores 302, giving them heightened programmability.
[0753] FIG. 39 illustrates a processing flow for a genomics
pipeline processor system and method. In some preferred
implementations, there are three passes over the data. The first
pass includes mapping 402 and alignment 404, with the full set of
reads streamed through the engines. The second pass includes
sorting 406, where one large block to be sorted (e.g., a
substantial portion or all reads previously mapped to a single
chromosome) is loaded into memory, sorted by the processing
engines, and returned to the host. The third pass includes
downstream stages (local realignment 408, duplicate marking 410,
base quality score recalibration (BQSR) 412, BAM output 414,
reduced BAM output 416, and/or CRAM compression 418). The steps and
functions of the third pass may be done in any combination or
subcombination, and in any order, in a single pass. A virtual
pipeline architecture, such as described above, is used to stream
reads from the host into circular buffers in memory, through one
processing engine after another in sequence, and back out to the
host. In some implementations, CRAM decompression can be a separate
streaming function. In some implementations, the BAM output 414,
reduced BAM output 416, and/or CRAM compression 418 can be replaced
with variant calling, compression and decompression.
[0754] In various instances, a hardware implementation of a
sequence analysis pipeline is described. This can be done in a
number of different ways such as an FPGA or ASIC or structured ASIC
implementation. The functional blocks that are implemented by the
FPGA or ASIC or structured ASIC are set forth in FIG. 40.
Accordingly, the system includes a number of blocks or modules to
do sequence analysis. The input to the hardware realization can be
a FASTQ file, but is not limited to this format. In addition to the
FASTQ file, the input to the FPGA or ASIC or structured ASIC
consists of side information, such as Flow Space Information from
technology such as the Ion Torrent. The blocks or modules may
include the following blocks: Error Control, Mapping, Alignment,
Sorting, Local Realignment, Duplicate Marking, Base Quality
Recalibration, BAM and Side Information reduction and/or variant
calling.
[0755] These blocks or modules can be present inside, or
implemented by, the hardware, but some of these blocks may be
omitted or other blocks added to achieve the purpose of realizing a
sequence analysis pipeline. Blocks 2 and 3 describe two
alternatives of the sequence analysis pipeline platform. The
sequence analysis pipeline platform comprising an FPGA or ASIC or
structured ASIC and software assisted by a host (e.g., PC, server,
cluster or cloud computing) with cloud and/or cluster storage.
Blocks 4-7 describe different interfaces that the sequence analysis
pipeline can have. In Blocks 4 and 6 the interface can be a PCIe
interface, but is not limited to a PCIe interface. In Blocks 5 and
7 the hardware (FPGA or ASIC or structured ASIC) can be directly
integrated into a sequencing machine. Blocks 8 and 9 describe the
integration of the hardware sequence analysis pipeline integrated
into a host system such as a PC, server cluster or sequencer.
Surrounding the hardware FPGA or ASIC or structured ASIC are lots
of DDR3 memory elements and a PCIe interface. The board with the
FPGA/ASIC/sASIC connects to a host computer, consisting of a host
CPU, that could be either a low power CPU such as an ARM.RTM.,
Snapdragon.RTM., or any other processor. Block 10 illustrates a
hardware sequence analysis pipeline API that can be accessed by
third party applications to perform tertiary analysis.
[0756] Accordingly, as depicted in FIG. 41, in various embodiments,
an apparatus of the disclosure may include a computing
architecture, such as embedded in a silicon field gated
programmable array (FPGA) or application specific integrated
circuit (ASIC) 100. The FPGA 100 can be integrated into a printed
circuit board (PCB) 104, such as a Peripheral Component
Interface--Express (PCIe) card, that can be plugged into a
computing platform. In various instances, as shown in FIG. 43, the
PCIe card 104 may include a single FPGA 100, which FPGA may be
surrounded by local memories 105, however, in various embodiments,
the PCIe card 104 may include a plurality of FPGAs 100A, 100B and
100C. In various instances, the PCI card may also include a PCIe
bus. This PCIe card 104 can be added to a computing platform to
execute algorithms on extremely large data sets. Accordingly, in
various instances, the overall work flow of genomic sequencing
involving the FPGA may include the following: Sample preparation,
Alignment (including mapping and alignment), Variant analysis,
Biological Interpretation, and/or Specific Applications.
[0757] Hence, in various embodiments, an apparatus of the
disclosure may include a computing architecture that achieves the
high performance execution of algorithms, such as mapping and
alignment algorithms, that operate on extremely large data sets,
such as where the data sets exhibit poor locality of reference
(LOR). These algorithms are designed to reconstruct a whole genome
from millions of short read sequences, from modern so-called next
generation sequencers, require multi-gigabyte data structures that
are randomly accessed. Once reconstruction is achieved, as
described herein above, further algorithms with similar
characteristics are used to compare one genome to libraries of
others, do gene function analysis, etc.
[0758] Currently, there are two major approaches that in general
may be implemented, such as purpose multicore CPUs and general
purpose Graphic Processing Units (GPGPUs). In such an instance ach
CPU in a multicore system may have a classical cache based
architecture, wherein instructions and data are fetched from a
level 1 cache (L1 cache) that is small but has extremely fast
access. Multiple L1 caches may be connected to a larger but slower
shared L2 cache. The L2 cache may be connected to a large but
slower DRAM (Dynamic Random Access Memory) system memory, or may be
connected to an even larger but slower L3 cache which may then
connected to DRAM. An advantage of this arrangement may be that
applications in which programs and data exhibit locality of
reference behave nearly as if they are executing on a computer with
a single memory as large as the DRAM but as fast as the L1 cache.
Because full custom, highly optimized CPUs operate at very high
clock rates, e.g., 2 to 4 GHz, this architecture may be essential
to achieving good performance.
[0759] Further, GPGPUs may be employed to extend this architecture,
such as by implementing very large numbers of small CPUs, each with
their own small L1 cache, wherein each CPU executes the same
instructions on different subsets of the data. This is a so called
SIMD (Single Instruction stream, Multiple Data stream)
architecture. Economy is gained by sharing the instruction fetch
and decode logic across a large number of CPUs. Each cache has
access to multiple large external DRAMs via an interconnection
network. Assuming the computation to be performed is highly
parallelizable, GPGPUs have a significant advantage over general
purpose CPUs due to having large numbers of computing resources.
Nevertheless, they still have a caching architecture and their
performance is hurt by applications that do not have a high enough
degree of locality of reference. That leads to a high cache miss
rate and processors that are idle while waiting for data to arrive
from the external DRAM.
[0760] For instance, in various instances, Dynamic RAMs may be used
for system memory because they are more economical than Static RAMs
(SRAM). The rule of thumb used to be that DRAMs had 4.times. the
capacity for the same cost as SRAMs. However, due to declining
demand for SRAMs in favor of DRAMs, which difference has increased
considerably due to the economies of scale that favor DRAMs which
are in high demand. Independent of cost, DRAMs are 4.times. as
dense as SRAMs laid out in the same silicon area because they only
require one transistor and capacitor per bit compared to 4
transistors per bit to implement the SRAM's flip-flop. The DRAM
represents a single bit of information as the presence or absence
of charge on a capacitor. A problem with this arrangement is that
the charge decays over time, so it has to be refreshed
periodically. The need to do this has led to architectures that
organize the memory into independent blocks and access mechanisms
that deliver multiple words of memory per request. This compensates
for times when a given block is unavailable while being refreshed.
The idea is to move a lot of data while a given block is available.
This is in contrast to SRAMs in which any location in memory is
available in a single access in a constant amount of time. This
characteristic allows memory accesses to be single word oriented
rather than block oriented. DRAMs work well in a caching
architecture because each cache miss leads to a block of memory
being read in from the DRAM. The theory of locality of reference is
that if just accessed word N, then probably going to access words
N+1, N+2, N+3 and so on, soon.
[0761] FIG. 42 presents an alternative embodiment to FIG. 41,
having a multiplicity of chips 100A, 100B, 100C, where each chip
may include one or more of the various genomics and/or
bioinformatics processing modules, e.g., of an exemplary pipeline
analysis apparatus, as disclosed herein.
[0762] FIG. 43 illustrates a system 500 for executing a sequence
analysis pipeline on genetic sequence data. The system 500 includes
a configuration manager 502 that includes a computing system. The
computing system of the configuration manager 502 can include a
personal computer or other computer workstation, or can be
implemented by a suite of networked computers. The configuration
manager 502 can further include one or more third party
applications connected with the computing system by one or more
APIs, which, with one or more proprietary applications, generate a
configuration for processing genomics data from a sequencer or
other genomics data source. The configuration manager 502 further
includes drivers that load the configuration to the genomics
pipeline processor system 10. The genomics pipeline processor
system 10 can output result data to, or be accessed via, the Web
504 or other network, for storage of the result data in an
electronic health record 506 or other knowledge database 508.
[0763] As discussed in several paces herein above, the chip
implementing the genomics pipeline processor can be connected or
integrated in a sequencer. The chip can also be connected or
integrated on an expansion card, e.g. PCIe, and the expansion card
can by connected or integrated in a sequencer. In other
implementations, the chip can be connected or integrated in a
server computer that is connected to a sequencer, to transfer
genomic reads from the sequencer to the server. In yet other
implementations, the chip can be connected or integrated in a
server in a cloud computing cluster of computers and servers. A
system can include one or more sequencers connected (e.g. via
Ethernet) to a server containing the chip, where genomic reads are
generated by the multiple sequencers, transmitted to the server,
and then mapped and aligned in the chip.
[0764] For instance, in general next generation DNA sequencer (NGS)
data pipelines, the primary analysis stage processing is generally
specific to a given sequencing technology. This primary analysis
stage functions to translate physical signals detected inside the
sequencer into "reads" of nucleotide sequences with associated
quality (confidence) scores, e.g. FASTQ format files, or other
formats containing sequence and usually quality information. After
such a format is achieved, secondary analysis proceeds, as
described herein, to determine the content of the sequenced sample
DNA (or RNA etc.), such as by mapping and aligning reads to a
reference genome, sorting, duplicate marking, base quality score
recalibration, local re-alignment, and variant calling. Tertiary
analysis may then follow, to extract medical or research
implications from the determined DNA content.
[0765] However, primary analysis, as mentioned above, is often
quite specific in nature to the sequencing technology employed. In
various sequencers, nucleotides are detected by sensing electrical
charges, electrical currents, or radiated light. Some primary
analysis pipelines often include: Signal processing to amplify,
filter, separate, and measure sensor output; Data reduction, such
as by quantization, decimation, averaging, transformation, etc.;
Image processing or numerical processing to identify and enhance
meaningful signals, and associate them with specific reads and
nucleotides (e.g. image offset calculation, cluster
identification); Algorithmic processing and heuristics to
compensate for sequencing technology artifacts (e.g. phasing
estimates, cross-talk matrices); Bayesian probability calculations;
Hidden Markov models; Base calling (selecting the most likely
nucleotide at each position in the sequence); Base call quality
(confidence) estimation, and the like.
[0766] Primary analysis can be extremely commutatively intensive,
sometimes as intensive as secondary analysis. For instance, in
existing sequencing technologies, primary analysis often utilizes
FPGAs and/or GPUs to accelerate processing beyond CPU capabilities.
But these accelerated functions can be performed much more
efficiently in custom integrated circuitry, such as that described
herein. For example, they can be implemented in a structured ASIC
using the configurable metal layers, as they do not require as much
physical layout precision as embedded processor cores; however, the
massively parallel computation implemented in large FPGAs and GPUs
may be difficult to fit in the configurable structured ASIC
resources. An alternative is to implement primary processing
acceleration logic in the master slice of a structured ASIC, taking
advantage of the standard cell space efficiency in the master
slice.
[0767] A reason that secondary processing functions may be
implemented in a structured ASIC configurable metal layers is that
secondary genomic data processing algorithms are still evolving via
active research. It may be therefore beneficial to be able to
inexpensively produce a freshly updated structured ASIC design
periodically, such as every year or every two years, to utilize the
latest algorithms. By contrast, primary analysis algorithms
currently employed are more mature, the necessary processing having
been researched and defined by the respective sequencer
manufacturers. Even to the extent it is still subject to change,
the algorithms are more generic signal and numerical processing
than is the case in secondary analysis, so that appropriate
configurability and micro-coding of primary processing acceleration
modules can make them flexible enough to accommodate significant
changes. If present, embedded processor cores increase this
flexibility even further. For these reasons, it is reasonable to
design primary processing acceleration modalities into a structured
ASIC master slice, as herein described.
[0768] It is also advantageous to integrate primary processing
acceleration and secondary processing acceleration in a single
integrated circuit (standard cell or structured ASIC), with or
without embedded processors. This may be beneficial because
sequencers produce data requiring both primary and secondary
analysis, and integrating them in a single device is most efficient
in terms of cost, space, power, and resource sharing. If embedded
processors are also present, they can be leveraged to increase the
speed and flexibility of both primary and secondary processing.
[0769] These three components--primary accelerators, secondary
accelerators, and embedded processors--can be implemented in a
structured ASIC master slice, and/or using configurable metal
layers, in any combination. All three could be in the master slice,
or all three could use configurable metal layers, or any one or two
of them could be in the master slice, and the others use
configurable metal layers. In any of these configurations, all
three can communicate with each other, in any combination, directly
and/or via memory, and cooperate in common tasks. One advantageous
configuration is to implement primary acceleration and embedded
processors in the master slice, and implement secondary
acceleration using configurable metal layers.
[0770] Additionally, as indicated above, the chip, whether
implemented as an ASIC, FPGA, or a structured ASIC, may include or
otherwise be associated with one or more memory architectures. For
instance, a memory architecture can consist of M memory modules
that interface with the chip, such as with an ASIC. The ASIC may be
implemented using many different technologies, including FPGAs
(Field Programmable Gate Arrays) or structured ASIC, standard
cells, or full custom logic. Within the ASIC are a Memory Subsystem
(MSS) and Functional Processing Units (FPUs). The MSS contains M
memory controllers (MCs) for the memory modules, N system memory
interfaces (SMIs) for the FPUs, and an N.times.M crossbar that
allows any SMI to access any MC. Arbitration is provided in the
case of contention.
[0771] Each memory module is constructed from DRAM chips that are
addressed by an A.sub.MM bit word and support data transfers
D.sub.MM bits wide. The memory has 2.sup.A.sub.MM address
locations. A key characteristic of DRAM is that it performs
reads/writes in W word bursts using the supplied address as the
base address, B, and fetching or storing locations B+1, B+2, . . .
B+W-1 as well. A typical value for W is 8.
[0772] In the MSS of the ASIC, each memory controller supplies the
required control signals and performs any necessary
multiplexing/demultiplexing between the system word width,
D.sub.SYS, and the memory word width, D.sub.MM, as well as handling
the requirements for read/write bursts. It can contain extra
buffering so that multiple memory requests can be queued up and
processed in a pipelined fashion to maximize throughput. This
compensates for multiple clock cycles of latency between
presentation of an address and completion of a memory operation
(read or write).
[0773] The MC may operate at the speed of the attached DRAM in a
memory module. Assume its clock rate is C.sub.MM. This is often
several times faster than the core speed at which the majority of
the logic in the ASIC operates which is C.sub.SYS. Hence the
multiplexing/demultiplexing logic is placed close to its associated
interface pins to minimize signal distances. Demultiplexing is the
first operation performed on incoming data and multiplexing is the
last operation performed on outgoing data. The remainder of the MSS
operates on D.sub.SYS width data which is wider than D.sub.MM,
enabling use of the slower C.sub.SYS clock speed.
[0774] Each system memory interface in the MSS presents an
A.sub.SYS bit address bus and a D.sub.SYS bit data bus to any
attached FPU. The SMI is designed to make it appear to an attached
FPU that it has random access to a single large fast memory. The
FPU has no awareness of the existence of separate memory modules.
A.sub.SYS is large enough to allow access to any memory location in
any attached memory module. The mapping from system address space
to memory module address space is explained below.
[0775] The N system memory interfaces are cross connected to the M
memory modules via an N.times.M crossbar. The crossbar provides
min(M,N) simultaneous connections among the SMIs and MCs, provides
arbitration for conflicts, and facilitates translation of system
address space into memory module address space.
[0776] The organization of FPUs is highly flexible. One or more
FPUs can share the same system memory interface. To maximize
performance, FPUs that do not operate at the same time should share
an SMI. Those that operate concurrently, should be attached to
different SMIs. An FPU that operates on a data structure larger
than D.sub.SYS can use multiple SMIs to access the whole data
structure in a single memory operation. Hence this memory
architecture supports a wide range of computation architectures.
Each FPU may be identical and thus an array of them may be
implemented in a two dimensional structure. This is illustrated
where FPU(i,j) is the j.sup.th unit attached to SMI i,
0.ltoreq.i<N, 0.ltoreq.j<k.sub.i. In this case, all the
k.sub.i are the same size and k.sub.i may be as small as 1. This
supports SIMD (single instruction stream, multiple data stream) and
MIMD architectures (multiple instruction stream, multiple data
stream) depending on whether the FPUs fetch instructions from the
same or individual instruction memories.
[0777] In one particular aspect, the disclosure is directed to a
system, such as to a system for executing a sequence analysis
pipeline on genetic sequence data. In various instances, the system
may include an electronic data source, such as a data source that
provides digital signals, for instance, digital signals
representing a plurality of reads of genomic data, where each of
the plurality of reads of genomic data include a sequence of
nucleotides. The system may include one or more of a memory, such
as a memory storing one or more genetic reference sequences and/or
an index of the one or more genetic reference sequences; and/or the
system may include a chip, such as an ASIC, FPGA, or sASIC.
[0778] More particularly, in various particular embodiments, the
system may include a structured application specific integrated
circuit (ASIC), such as where the chip is formed of a set of
mask-programmable, hardwired digital logic circuits that may be
interconnected by a plurality of physical electrical interconnects.
In various instances, one or more of the plurality of physical
electrical interconnects include an input to the structured ASIC
that is connected with the electronic data source, such as for
receiving the plurality of reads of genomic data. In such an
instance, one or more of the plurality of physical electrical
interconnects may include a memory interface for the structured
ASIC to access the memory. Accordingly, the hardwired digital logic
circuits may be arranged as a set of processing engines, such as
where each processing engine may be formed of a subset of the
hardwired digital logic circuits so as to perform one or more steps
in the sequence analysis pipeline on the plurality of reads of
genomic data. In various embodiments, one or more, e.g., each,
subset of the hardwired digital logic circuits may be in a wired
configuration such as to perform the one or more steps in the
sequence analysis pipeline. For instance, the set of processing
engines may be configured to include one or more of a mapping
module, an alignment module, and/or a sorting module.
[0779] For example, the set of processing engines may include a
mapping module that is in the wired configuration, and is
configured to access, according to at least some of the sequence of
nucleotides in a read of the plurality of reads, the index of the
one or more genetic reference sequences from the memory via the
memory interface so as to map the read to one or more segments of
the one or more genetic reference sequences based on the index. For
instance, in certain embodiments, the index of the one or more
genetic reference sequences may include a hash table, and/or the
mapping module may apply a hash function to the at least some of
the sequence of nucleotides to access the hash table of the
index.
[0780] The processing engines may also or alternatively include an
alignment module that is in the wired configuration, and is
configured to access the one or more genetic reference sequences
from the memory, e.g., via the memory interface, so as to align the
read to one or more positions in the one or more segments of the
one or more genetic reference sequences, such as obtained from the
mapping module. The processing engines may also or alternatively
include a sorting module that is in the wired configuration, and is
configured to access the one or more aligned reads from the memory,
e.g., via the memory interface, so as to sort the read to one or
more positions, e.g., chromosomal positions, in the genetic
reference sequences, such as obtained from the alignment
module.
[0781] In various instances, the structured ASIC may include a
master slice that incorporates at least some of the hardwired
digital logic circuits, and in some instances, may include one or
more configurable metal layers that are formed on the master slice,
such as where each of the one or more configurable metal layers may
have at least some of the plurality of physical electrical
interconnects that interconnect the at least some of the hardwired
digital logic circuits to form the set of processing engines. In
certain embodiments, one or more of the plurality of physical
electrical interconnects may include an output from the structured
ASIC, such as for communicating result data from the mapping module
and/or the alignment module and/or sorting module. In certain
instance,
[0782] In various instances, the structured ASIC may include a
master controller to establish the wired configuration for each
subset of the hardwired digital logic circuits so as to perform the
one or more steps in the sequence analysis pipeline. In various
embodiments, the wired configuration is established upon
manufacture of the integrated circuit and is non-volatile. In some
embodiments, the structured ASIC and/or the memory are housed on an
expansion card, such as a peripheral component interconnect (PCI)
card. As indicated above, in various embodiments, the system may
include a sequencer, such as where the sequencer includes the
electronic data source that provides the digital signals
representing the plurality of reads of genomic data. And in such an
instance, the expansion card may be physically integrated with the
sequencer.
[0783] Additionally, in various embodiments, a structured
application-specific integrated circuit (ASIC) may be provided,
such as for analyzing genetic sequence data, such as where the
genetic sequence data is stored in a memory, such as a memory
storing one or more genetic reference sequences associated with
genomic data, and/or an index of the one or more genetic reference
sequences. In such an instance, the structured ASIC may include a
master slice that further includes a set of digital logic circuits,
and may additionally include one or more configurable metal layers
that are formed on the master slice, such as where each of the one
or more configurable metal layers may have a set of wired
connections arranged to interconnect a subset of the digital logic
circuits to form a set of processing engines. In such an instance,
the set of processing engines may include a mapping engine, an
alignment engine, and/or a sorting engine. In various instances, a
portion of the set of digital logic circuits in the master slice is
hardwired as a base calling engine.
[0784] For instance, the set of processing engines may include a
mapping engine to access, e.g., according to at least some of the
sequence of nucleotides in a read of the plurality of reads, the
index of the one or more genetic reference sequences stored in the
memory, so as to map the read to one or more segments of the one or
more genetic reference sequences, e.g., based on the index.
Additionally or alternatively, the set of processing engines may
include an alignment engine such as to access the one or more
genetic reference sequences from the memory, e.g., via the memory
interface, so as to align the read to one or more positions in the
one or more segments of the one or more genetic reference sequences
from the mapping module. Additionally, or alternatively the set of
processing engines may include a sorting engine to sort each
aligned read according to the one or more positions in the one or
more genetic reference sequences.
[0785] In one embodiment, a system for executing a sequence
analysis pipeline on genetic sequence data is provided where the
system includes an electronic data source that provides digital
signals representing a plurality of reads of genomic data, such as
where each of the plurality of reads of genomic data include a
sequence of nucleotides. The system may include one or more of a
memory, e.g., for storing one or more genetic reference sequences
and/or an index of the one or more genetic reference sequences;
and/or the system may include an integrated circuit having a master
slice, such as a master slice formed by a photolithographic mask
that defines a set of digital logic circuits. In such an instance,
the master slice may be configured for having one or more
functions, as those described herein above, integrated therein. For
instance, the master slice may have one or more configurable metal
layers, such as where each of the one or more configurable metal
layers has one or more conductive interconnects that connect a
subset of the set of digital logic circuits in a wired
configuration to perform the aforesaid functions.
[0786] In various aspects, a method of making a structured
application-specific integrated circuit (ASIC) for analyzing
genetic sequence data is provided. In certain embodiments, the
method includes one or more of providing a plurality of
photolithographic masks, such as masks that define a set of digital
logic circuits of a master slice; forming the set of digital logic,
such as by using the plurality of photolithographic masks to form
the master slice; providing two or more different sets of
design-specific configurable metal layer masks, such as masks that
define corresponding two or more digital logic to implement a set
of processing engines; forming two or more configurable metal
layers, such as using two or more different sets of design-specific
configurable metal layer masks, for instance, where each of the two
more configurable metal layers have a set of wired connections that
may be arranged according to a design of the configurable metal
layer masks, for example, to interconnect a subset of the digital
logic circuits to form a set of processing engines; and/or
providing the two or more configurable metal layers onto the master
slice to form the set of processing engines.
[0787] One or more aspects or features of the subject matter
described herein can be realized in digital electronic circuitry,
integrated circuitry, specially designed application specific
integrated circuits (ASICs), field programmable gate arrays
(FPGAs), or structured ASIC computer hardware, firmware, software,
and/or combinations thereof.
[0788] These various aspects or features can include implementation
in one or more computer programs that are executable and/or
interpretable on a programmable system including at least one
programmable processor, which can be special or general purpose,
coupled to receive data and instructions from, and to transmit data
and instructions to, a storage system, at least one input device,
and at least one output device. The programmable system or
computing system may include clients and servers. A client and
server are generally remote from each other and typically interact
through a communication network. The relationship of client and
server arises by virtue of computer programs running on the
respective computers and having a client-server relationship to
each other.
[0789] These computer programs, which can also be referred to as
programs, software, software applications, applications,
components, or code, include machine instructions for a
programmable processor, and can be implemented in a high-level
procedural and/or object-oriented programming language, and/or in
assembly/machine language. As used herein, the term
"machine-readable medium" refers to any computer program product,
apparatus and/or device, such as for example magnetic discs,
optical disks, memory, and Programmable Logic Devices (PLDs), used
to provide machine instructions and/or data to a programmable
processor, including a machine-readable medium that receives
machine instructions as a machine-readable signal. The term
"machine-readable signal" refers to any signal used to provide
machine instructions and/or data to a programmable processor. The
machine-readable medium can store such machine instructions
non-transitorily, such as for example as would a non-transient
solid-state memory or a magnetic hard drive or any equivalent
storage medium. The machine-readable medium can alternatively or
additionally store such machine instructions in a transient manner,
such as for example as would a processor cache or other random
access memory associated with one or more physical processor
cores.
[0790] To provide for interaction with a user, one or more aspects
or features of the subject matter described herein can be
implemented on a computer having a display device, such as for
example a cathode ray tube (CRT), a liquid crystal display (LCD) or
a light emitting diode (LED) monitor for displaying information to
the user and a keyboard and a pointing device, such as for example
a mouse or a trackball, by which the user may provide input to the
computer. Other kinds of devices can be used to provide for
interaction with a user as well. For example, feedback provided to
the user can be any form of sensory feedback, such as for example
visual feedback, auditory feedback, or tactile feedback; and input
from the user may be received in any form, including, but not
limited to, acoustic, speech, or tactile input. Other possible
input devices include, but are not limited to, touch screens or
other touch-sensitive devices such as single or multi-point
resistive or capacitive trackpads, voice recognition hardware and
software, optical scanners, optical pointers, digital image capture
devices and associated interpretation software, and the like.
[0791] The subject matter described herein can be embodied in
systems, apparatus, methods, and/or articles depending on the
desired configuration. The implementations set forth in the
foregoing description do not represent all implementations
consistent with the subject matter described herein. Instead, they
are merely some examples consistent with aspects related to the
described subject matter. Although a few variations have been
described in detail above, other modifications or additions are
possible. In particular, further features and/or variations can be
provided in addition to those set forth herein. For example, the
implementations described above can be directed to various
combinations and subcombinations of the disclosed features and/or
combinations and subcombinations of several further features
disclosed above. In addition, the logic flows depicted in the
accompanying figures and/or described herein do not necessarily
require the particular order shown, or sequential order, to achieve
desirable results. Other implementations may be within the scope of
the following claims.
* * * * *