title: Forensic massively parallel sequencing data analysis tool: Implementation of MyFLq as a standalone web- and Illumina BaseSpace(®)-application.
abstract: Routine use of massively parallel sequencing (MPS) for forensic genomics is on the horizon. The last few years, several algorithms and workflows have been developed to analyze forensic MPS data. However, none have yet been tailored to the needs of the forensic analyst who does not possess an extensive bioinformatics background. We developed our previously published forensic MPS data analysis framework MyFLq (My-Forensic-Loci-queries) into an open-source, user-friendly, web-based application. It can be installed as a standalone web application, or run directly from the Illumina BaseSpace environment. In the former, laboratories can keep their data on-site, while in the latter, data from forensic samples that are sequenced on an Illumina sequencer can be uploaded to Basespace during acquisition, and can subsequently be analyzed using the published MyFLq BaseSpace application. Additional features were implemented such as an interactive graphical report of the results, an interactive threshold selection bar, and an allele length-based analysis in addition to the sequenced-based analysis. Practical use of the application is demonstrated through the analysis of four 16-plex short tandem repeat (STR) samples, showing the complementarity between the sequence- and length-based analysis of the same MPS data.
authors.affiliation: Laboratory of Pharmaceutical Biotechnology, Faculty of Pharmaceutical Sciences, Ghent University, Ghent, Belgium.
authors.forename: Christophe
authors.initials: C
authors.lastname: Van Neste
authors.affiliation: Laboratory of Pharmaceutical Biotechnology, Faculty of Pharmaceutical Sciences, Ghent University, Ghent, Belgium.
authors.forename: Yannick
authors.initials: Y
authors.lastname: Gansemans
authors.affiliation: Laboratory of Pharmaceutical Biotechnology, Faculty of Pharmaceutical Sciences, Ghent University, Ghent, Belgium.
authors.forename: Dieter
authors.initials: D
authors.lastname: De Coninck
authors.affiliation: Laboratory of Pharmaceutical Biotechnology, Faculty of Pharmaceutical Sciences, Ghent University, Ghent, Belgium.
authors.forename: David
authors.initials: D
authors.lastname: Van Hoofstat
authors.affiliation: Biobix, Faculty of Bioscience Engineering, Ghent University, Ghent, Belgium.
authors.forename: Wim
authors.initials: W
authors.lastname: Van Criekinge
authors.affiliation: Laboratory of Pharmaceutical Biotechnology, Faculty of Pharmaceutical Sciences, Ghent University, Ghent, Belgium.
authors.forename: Dieter
authors.initials: D
authors.lastname: Deforce
authors.affiliation: Laboratory of Pharmaceutical Biotechnology, Faculty of Pharmaceutical Sciences, Ghent University, Ghent, Belgium. Electronic address: Filip.VanNieuwerburgh@UGent.be.
authors.forename: Filip
authors.initials: F
authors.lastname: Van Nieuwerburgh
mesh_terms: D000483:Alleles; D001483:Base Sequence; D004247:DNA / Q000235:genetics; D003627:Data Interpretation, Statistical; D053803:Forensic Genetics; D006801:Humans; D020407:Internet; D008969:Molecular Sequence Data; D017421:Sequence Analysis / Q000379:methods*; D012689:Sequence Homology, Nucleic Acid
chemical_list: D004247:DNA
keywords: Forensic loci; Illumina; MPS; MiSeq; NGS; STR