Researchers at HZI develop Metax tool to separate true signals from contamination in scarce DNA samples
Scientists at the Helmholtz Centre for Infection Research have created a new method called Metax to improve microbial profiling when DNA is limited.
New tool improves diagnostic accuracy
Current computational methods often produce false-positive results or inaccurate estimates of microorganism abundance. The new profiler analyzes how sequencing reads are distributed across reference genomes to identify artifacts more reliably. This approach helps clinicians investigate potential pathogens in acute infections where microbial DNA is scarce.
Study published in Cell journal
Alice McHardy leads the research group that developed this computational biology solution for infection research. The team explains that their method complements established diagnostic approaches used in hospitals today. Publication of the findings occurred recently in the scientific journal Cell.
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