Keeping the Cat Off the Counter: How Via Foundry Prevents Biological Data Contamination

In scientific research, data contamination can be as disastrous as a cat jumping onto a kitchen counter during meal prep!

Just as chefs take every precaution to keep a spotless kitchen, researchers need to make sure their data remains uncontaminated to achieve accurate and reliable results.

Our bioinformatics platform Via Foundry acts as the vigilant chef and makes sure your data is as pure as possible.

The Importance of Contamination Checks

Imagine preparing a gourmet meal with the finest (and most expensive!) ingredients in your kitchen. You turn around and see that a stray cat has left fur and paw prints all over the countertop!

Suddenly, your pristine kitchen is compromised. Your perfect ingredients are no longer usable.

In the same way, research data can become contaminated through various sources, leading to skewed results and wasted efforts.

Contamination in research refers to unwanted biological material or data that sneaks into the samples being analyzed. It can arise from several sources, including:

• Sample mix-ups
• Environmental contaminants
• Human error during data processing

These contaminants introduce noise into the data, making it difficult to discern true biological signals. This is particularly problematic in fields like genomics, where precision is paramount.

The Human “Contaminome”

Recent research highlights the pervasive nature of contamination in genomic studies. According to Chrisman et al. (2022), the unmapped read space of whole genome sequencing (WGS) data, often ignored, contains valuable signals of both human infection and contamination.

The study analyzed WGS data from over 1,000 families and nearly 5,000 individuals, revealing common viral, bacterial, and computational contaminants. They confirmed the presence of many contaminating microbes that have been noted in other studies, including Mycoplasma, Burkholderia, Bradyrhizobium, Mezorhizobium, and Variovorax.

These contaminants compromise the results of whole genome sequencing (WGS) and metagenomics studies. So it is crucial to implement rigorous contamination checks and establish standard protocols for identifying and removing contaminants. Source.

Via Foundry: Your Biological Kitchen Inspector

Via Foundry is designed to tackle these contamination issues head-on, so that your data remains uncontaminated and reliable.

How does Via Foundry keep your data clean?

Rigorous Quality Control

Via Foundry implements stringent quality control measures at every stage of data processing. From initial sample collection to final data analysis, Via Foundry’s protocols are designed to detect and eliminate any sources of contamination. This includes automated checks for sample integrity and consistency, making sure your data is accurate and trustworthy.

Advanced Contamination Detection

Via Foundry uses sophisticated algorithms to identify potential contaminants in your data. It scans your data for anomalies that could indicate contamination and allows researchers to address issues before they impact the results.

For instance, Chrisman et al. (2022) found that sequencing plates and biological sample sources strongly influence contamination profiles, with certain bacterial species being more prevalent in specific sample types and sequencing batches. Via Foundry’s advanced detection capabilities can help identify and mitigate such issues early in the data processing pipeline.

Seamless Integration with Existing Workflows

Via Foundry’s contamination checks are designed to integrate seamlessly with your existing workflows. Whether you’re working with sequencing data, proteomics, or any other type of biological data, Via Foundry’s contamination checks do not disrupt your processes. This ease of integration means you can focus on your research without worrying about data quality.

Conclusion

In biological research, data contamination is a critical issue that can compromise the integrity of your research. Via Foundry acts as your dedicated kitchen inspector, ensuring that your data remains pristine and uncontaminated.

Via Foundry implements rigorous quality control measures and advanced contamination detection, thus it helps you maintain the purity of your data. Just as a chef maintains a spotless kitchen.

So, keep the cat off the counter and trust Via Foundry to keep your data clean and reliable!