Before you get started be sure to check out:

• devtools Google Group – https://groups.google.com/forum/#!forum/rdevtools
• book on “Advanced R programming” – http://adv-r.had.co.nz/
• GitHub repository – https://github.com/hadley/devtools

Address of the bookmark: https://www.rstudio.com/products/rpackages/devtools/

The Rearrangement Overview page describes the one or more breakpoints which make up a structural variant. A breakpoint is defined as a region or point where the sample sequence has altered from the reference sequence. Minimum interpretation is made of this data. One variant event can consist of one or multiple breakpoints. The Syntax (shown above the table) gives a detailed description of the variant and its location  (e.g. chr11:g.36585230_76606619del, a deletion of roughly 40Mb on chromosome 11). Syntax is based on HGVS mutation nomenclature recommendations [http://www.hgvs.org/rec.html]. 

http://cancer.sanger.ac.uk/cosmic/help/rearrangement/overview

Address of the bookmark: http://cancer.sanger.ac.uk/cosmic/help/rearrangement/overview

Beagle version 4.1 has a more accurate genotype phasing algorithm and a very fast and accurate genotype imputation algorithm. Version 4.1 also has several changes to the command line arguments which are described in the release notes. The "ped" argument has no effect in version 4.1. If your data contains nuclear families and you want to model the parent-offspring relationships when phasing genotypes, please use version 4.0.

If you use Beagle 4.1 in a published analysis, please report the program version and cite the appropriate article.

The citation for Beagle's phasing algorithm is:

S R Browning and B L Browning (2007) Rapid and accurate haplotype phasing and missing data inference for whole genome association studies by use of localized haplotype clustering. Am J Hum Genet 81:1084-1097.doi:10.1086/521987

The citation for Beagle's genotype imputation algorithm is:

B L Browning and S R Browning (2016). Genotype imputation with millions of reference samples. Am J Hum Genet 98:116-126.doi:10.1016/j.ajhg.2015.11.020

The citation for Beagle's IBD detection algorithm is:

B L Browning and S R Browning (2013). Improving the accuracy and efficiency of identity-by-descent detection in population data. Genetics 194(2):459-71.doi:10.1534/genetics.113.150029

Address of the bookmark: http://faculty.washington.edu/browning/beagle/beagle.html

Address of the bookmark: http://rgraphgallery.blogspot.be/

Address of the bookmark: http://www.nature.com/nature/journal/v491/n7424/abs/nature11622.html

With advances in Cancer Genomics, Mutation Annotation Format (MAF) is being widley accepted and used to store variants detected. The Cancer Genome Atlas Project has seqenced over 30 different cancers with sample size of each cancer type being over 200. The resulting data consisting of genetic variants is stored in the form of Mutation Annotation Format. This package attempts to summarize, analyze, annotate and visualize MAF files in an efficient manner either from TCGA sources or any in-house studies as long as the data is in MAF format. Maftools can also handle ICGC Simple Somatic Mutation format.

maftools is on bioRxiv

Please cite the below if you find this tool useful for you.

Mayakonda, A. and H.P. Koeffler, Maftools: Efficient analysis, visualization and summarization of MAF files from large-scale cohort based cancer studies. bioRxiv, 2016. doi: http://dx.doi.org/10.1101/052662

Address of the bookmark: https://github.com/PoisonAlien/maftools

https://bienkocrosettolabs.org/

Essential Qualifications: Ph.D. (Bioinformatics/ Biophysics/ Biotechnology or any other stream of biological/ physical sciences) with a minimum of two publications in reputed peer reviewed journals in the area of structural bioinformatics or biophysics or biomolecular modeling/ simulation.

Job description: Development of bioinformatics tools and algorithms/software for structure based analysis of biomolecular systems. Programmatic access to major biomolecular databases using APIs Knowledge based prediction and analysis of biomolecular structure, function and interactions. Docking/simulations for inhibitor design.

Desirable Qualifications (Research Associate/s): i) Strong computer programming skills (in Python/PERL/PHP or C++ or object oriented database management systems like MySQL etc or scripting languages under LINUX/UNIX environment).

ii) Extensive experience in computational analysis of biomolecular structure/interactions and usage of advanced biomolecular simulation softwares. iii) Adequate knowledge of major databases, webservers and softwares in the area of biomolecular structure/function and drug design. iv) Familiarity with Parallel Programming environments and experience in usage of high-end HPC clusters.

The candidates must highlight their experience in above mentioned fields/topics in their CV. Initial appointment will be for a period of 1 year, subject to extension after review of performance.

Emoluments: As per DST, GOI norms and commensurate with experience.

More at https://www.iisc.ac.in/positions-open/

What Are Chromosome Rearrangements?

Chromosome rearrangements are structural changes that alter the normal configuration of chromosomes. These changes can involve large segments of DNA — from thousands to millions of base pairs — and can occur spontaneously, be inherited, or result from exposure to mutagens (like radiation or chemicals).

Common Types of Rearrangements:

1. Deletions – Loss of a chromosome segment

2. Duplications – Repetition of a segment

3. Inversions – A segment breaks off, flips, and reattaches

4. Translocations – Segments exchange places between non-homologous chromosomes

5. Insertions – A segment is inserted into another part of the genome

These changes can disrupt genes directly or affect gene regulation, leading to disease.

How Do Chromosome Rearrangements Cause Disease?

The impact of a rearrangement depends on which genes are involved, how much DNA is affected, and when the rearrangement occurs (in development vs. adulthood). Here are some key mechanisms:

• Gene disruption: Breaking a gene can lead to loss of function or the creation of a non-functional protein.

• Gene fusion: Joining parts of two genes may form a novel hybrid gene with new functions (common in cancer).

• Dosage effects: Extra or missing gene copies can disturb the balance of gene expression.

• Position effects: Moving a gene to a new regulatory environment may silence or over-activate it.

Chromosome Rearrangements in Human Disease

1. Developmental Disorders

• Cri-du-chat syndrome: Caused by a deletion on chromosome 5p. Affected infants often have a high-pitched cry and intellectual disability.

• Williams syndrome: Results from a microdeletion on chromosome 7q, affecting genes related to cardiovascular and cognitive function.

2. Cancer

Cancer is perhaps the most striking example of disease caused by chromosome rearrangements.

• Chronic Myeloid Leukemia (CML): Caused by a translocation between chromosomes 9 and 22, forming the Philadelphia chromosome. This creates the BCR-ABL fusion gene, which drives uncontrolled cell growth.

• Burkitt lymphoma: Involves translocation of the MYC gene, leading to excessive cell division.

• Ewing sarcoma: A fusion of EWSR1 and FLI1 genes through translocation promotes tumor development.

3. Infertility and Miscarriages

Balanced rearrangements (like inversions or translocations) in carriers may not cause disease directly but can result in:

• Recurrent miscarriages

• Infertility

• Birth defects in offspring

Detecting Rearrangements

Thanks to modern genomics, chromosome rearrangements can now be detected with high precision using:

• Karyotyping – Classic method for detecting large rearrangements

• FISH (Fluorescence In Situ Hybridization) – Uses fluorescent probes to target specific DNA sequences

• Array CGH (Comparative Genomic Hybridization) – Detects copy number changes across the genome

• Whole Genome Sequencing (WGS) – Identifies even small or complex rearrangements at base-pair resolution

Looking Forward: The Future of Chromosome Medicine

Understanding chromosome rearrangements is now central to:

• Personalized medicine

• Genetic counseling

• Targeted therapies, especially in cancer (e.g., tyrosine kinase inhibitors for BCR-ABL fusion)

With the rise of long-read sequencing and single-cell genomics, even previously “invisible” rearrangements are being uncovered, offering new insights into both rare diseases and common conditions.

Final Thoughts

Chromosome rearrangements remind us that genetics isn't just about which genes we have — but where they are, how they're arranged, and when they're active. As our tools grow sharper, so does our ability to diagnose, understand, and treat diseases rooted in genomic architecture.

In a way, the genome is like a book not just defined by its words, but also by how the chapters are ordered. Rearranging them can create a new story — sometimes harmful, sometimes insightful — and understanding these changes is key to writing a healthier future.

Biostrings

The Biostrings package from Bioconductor provides an advanced environment for efficient sequence management and analysis in R. It contains many speed and memory effective string containers, string matching algorithms, and other utilities, for fast manipulation of large sets of biological sequences. The objects and functions provided by Biostrings form the basis for many other sequence analysis packages. Documentation