Research topic: Protein function annotation, multiple probabilistic models, domain architecture, machine learning, combinatorial optimization, computer grid.

This project is run on the Laboratoire de Biologie Computationnelle et Quantitative UMR7238 CNRS-UPMC – Analytical Genomics team, headed by A.Carbone. It is co-advised with Pierre-Henri Wuillemin, Laboratoire d’Informatique de Paris 6 – Equipe DECISION.

The postdoc will be payed under a contract of Ingénieur de Recherche lasting 3.5 years and it is available from September 1st, 2014.

Group Web Page: http://www.lcqb.upmc.fr/AnalGenom/home.html

Ref. E-Mail: Alessandra Carbone alessandra.carbone@lip6.fr

The "Ifs" of NGS QC and Trimming

1. Ensures Data Integrity
   If you want to minimize errors in downstream analyses, QC and trimming remove low-quality reads and bases, ensuring high-confidence data. This step is essential for reliable variant calling, assembly, and other applications.

2. Removes Contaminants
   If adapter sequences or contaminants are present in the raw reads, trimming can eliminate them. This prevents issues like misalignment or incorrect biological interpretations, ensuring cleaner data for analysis.

3. Improves Mapping and Assembly
   If your goal is better alignment to a reference genome or improved de novo assembly, trimming low-quality bases and adapters is critical. High-quality reads map more efficiently and generate more accurate assemblies.

4. Reduces Computational Load
   If you want to save computational resources, trimming reduces the dataset size, which speeds up processing and analysis. Clean datasets mean less computational time spent on processing low-quality data.

5. Prepares for Standardized Analyses
   If your project involves multiple datasets, QC and trimming ensure uniformity across them. This standardization makes comparisons valid and reproducible, particularly in large collaborative studies.

The "Buts" of NGS QC and Trimming

1. Risk of Over-Trimming
   But excessive trimming can lead to the loss of informative sequences, reducing read depth and potentially discarding biologically relevant data. This is especially critical in studies with limited sequencing depth.

2. Bias Introduction
   But trimming algorithms might introduce biases, especially if they inadvertently remove sequences with specific biological patterns. This can skew results and compromise biological insights.

3. Loss of Context in Paired-End Reads
   But trimming one read in a pair more than the other can lead to loss of pairing information. This complicates downstream analyses that rely on paired-end data, such as structural variant detection.

4. Time and Resource Intensive
   But running QC and trimming for large datasets can be computationally expensive and time-consuming. As sequencing depth increases, preprocessing becomes a bottleneck in the analysis pipeline.

5. Variable Standards
   But the criteria for trimming (e.g., quality threshold, minimum read length) can vary between tools and datasets. This variability may affect reproducibility and comparability of results across studies.

Balancing the "Ifs" and "Buts"

To maximize the benefits of QC and trimming while mitigating the challenges, consider the following best practices:

• Use QC Tools Wisely: Start with tools like FastQC to identify quality issues in your raw data. Visualizing quality metrics helps tailor your trimming parameters.

• Choose Reliable Trimming Tools: Tools like Trimmomatic, Cutadapt, and BBduk offer adaptive and customizable trimming options. Select one that aligns with your dataset and project goals.

• Set Reasonable Parameters: Avoid over-trimming by setting quality thresholds and minimum read lengths that balance data retention and quality improvement.

• Test Downstream Effects: Validate the impact of QC and trimming on downstream analyses, such as alignment efficiency, variant calling accuracy, or assembly quality.

• Document Your Workflow: Maintain detailed records of the parameters and tools used for QC and trimming. This ensures reproducibility and enables better troubleshooting.

Conclusion

NGS quality control and trimming are essential steps to ensure reliable and accurate data for analysis. While the "ifs" highlight the clear benefits of these steps, the "buts" remind us of the potential pitfalls. By adopting best practices and carefully balancing these considerations, you can optimize your preprocessing workflow and unlock the full potential of your sequencing data.

About JNIAS
Jawaharlal Nehru Institute of Advanced Studies (JNIAS), Hyderabad has been established by Dr. D. Swaminadhan Research Foundation (DSRF), Hyderabad as a Research and Educational Institution with a view to contribute in developing advanced technologies and build „core competence‟ in specific areas. The activities of JNIAS involves: Education, Research Training and Innovations in the fields of Sciences, Technologies, Humanities and Social Sciences. It aims to blossom into an Advanced Institute of education and research with a reservoir of expertise and experience in the relevant fields and the necessary capability to harness multi-disciplinary research and studies. JNIAS has been recognized as an Advanced Research Institute by Jawaharlal Nehru Technological University Hyderabad (JNTUH), Hyderabad and Jawaharlal Nehru Technological University Anantapur (JNTUA), for offering Ph.D., P.G M.Phil, P.G Diploma and Training Programmes in Sciences and Engineering & Technology.

Jawaharlal Nehru Architecture and Fine Arts University (JNAFAU) Hyderabad also recognized JNIAS for offering UG, PG degree in Architecture.

Projects & Facilities

JNIAS offers wide range of projects:

Biotechnology area:

Molecular Biology
Microbiology
Nanotechnology
Bioinformatics (Schrodinger Software)
In Silico studies & Drug Designing
Sequence analysis
Protein structure function studies

Registration
Tuition Fees: Interested students need to pay the following tuition fees:
1. Six Month’s Project: Rs. 20,000/-
2. Four Month’s Project: Rs. 15,000/-
3. Three Month’s Project: Rs. 10,000/-
4. One Month - Hands on Training : Rs. 8,000/-

For enquires call:
91-7893203414 (Biotechnology), 91-9949582263 (Environmental Sciences) 91-8977369305 (Computer Science)

Interested student may download the application from the website (www.jnias.in) and send the hard copy of the completed application forms and Curriculum Vitae along with the Demand Draft drawn on any nationalized Banks in favor of “The Registrar, JNIAS, Secunderabad”. Application forms can be sent through email to academicprojects@jnias.in

Address
Jawaharlal Nehru Institute of Advanced Studies (JNIAS)
6th Floor, Buddha Bhavan, M.G Road,
Secunderabad - 500 003
Andhra Pradesh, India
Tele/Fax: 040- 27541551; 27541553
Mobile: 08885541554
Web site: www.jnias.in

Brochure : https://drive.google.com/file/d/0B3zPwhgA-u-nU0dyMFd2OWcxNUpSTWNYc0xDSGs5UDI4UDNB/view?usp=sharing

Webinar on 'An integrated RNA and DNA approach to unravel genetic regulation in cancer'

Abstract

Whole exome DNA sequencing (WES) or whole genome DNA sequencing (WGS) allows detection of mutations and polymorphisms in all exonic and genomic regions, respectively, while messenger RNA sequencing (RNA-Seq) enables quantitative analysis of gene expression. Mutations in the genome result in diverse transcriptional aberrations that can be missed in a stand-alone WES/WGS analysis. An integration of DNA variant analysis and RNA-Seq analysis enables one to investigate the consequences of genomic changes in the RNA transcripts including germline and somatic changes, imprinting, RNA editing and allele specific expression (ASE). In this webinar, we will demonstrate this integrated approach using Strand NGS to identify high confidence mutations, RNA editing events and ASE in cancer.

Webinar Details

Register here: http://www.strand-ngs.com/webinar_registration

About Speaker:

Dr. Veena Hedatale, has a PhD in Plant Genetics from The Radboud University, Netherlands focused on meiosis and recombination. Her prior academic experience at Cornell University was on genetic mapping and gene transformation in Rice. She has worked with Monsanto, and contributed to data mining, database development as well as gene/promoter/pathway discovery for traits related to yield and stress in crop species. At Strand, Veena has worked on Pharmacogenomic analysis of targets and Gene family analysis projects. Currently, she is part of the Strand NGS Application Science team and is involved in the analysis of next generation sequencing data.

Please feel free to contact us 24/5, for availing free online training or if you have any questions.

Address of the bookmark: https://github.com/nedaz/kraken

Address of the bookmark: https://sourceforge.net/projects/genoviz/

Collaborative python library used in the DYOGEN teamfor studying the evolution of gene order in vertebrates.

http://www.ibens.ens.fr/?rubrique43&lang=fr

Address of the bookmark: https://github.com/DyogenIBENS/LibsDyogen

Good communication skills and fluency in spoken and written English are required.
Please apply sending a curriculum vitae, the names of at least two referees and a letter of motivation describing past experience and future goals to anna.tramontano@uniroma1.it with subject: “Application for post-doctoral position November 2014 YOUR LAST NAME”

Deadline: No later than November 28th, 2014.
Duration: 2 years

Salary on grant: Commeasured to the experience of the candidate
Contact Person (Referent): Anna Tramontano
Ref. E-Mail: anna.tramontano@uniroma1.it
Group Web Page: http:/www.biocomputing.it

Sibelia is useful in finding: (1) shared regions, (2) regions that present in one group of genomes but not in others, (3) rearrangements that transform one genome to other genomes.

More at http://bioinf.spbau.ru/sibelia

Sibelia docs http://gensoft.pasteur.fr/docs/Sibelia/3.0.7/SIBELIA.md

Address of the bookmark: https://github.com/bioinf/Sibelia