Meta-Alignment: Combining Sequence Aligners for Better Results

Analysing next generation sequencing data often involves the use of a sequence aligner to map the sequenced reads against a reference. The output of this process is the basis of many downstream analyses and its quality thus critical. Many different alignment tools exist, each with a multitude of options, creating a vast amount of possibilities to align sequences. Choosing the correct aligner and options for a specific dataset is complex, and yet it can have a major impact on the quality of the data analysis. We propose a new approach in which we combine the output of multiple sequence aligners to create an improved sequence alignment files. Our novel approach can be used to either increase the sensitivity or the specificity of the alignment process. The software is freely available for non-commercial usage at http://gnaty.phenosystems.com/.

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