Abstract: Described herein are systems and methods that receive as input a DNA or RNA sequence, extract features, and apply layers of processing units to compute one ore more condition-specific cell variables, corresponding to cellular quantities measured under different conditions. The system may be applied to a sequence containing a genetic variant, and also to a corresponding reference sequence to determine how much the condition-specific cell variables change because of the variant. The change in the condition-specific cell variables are used to compute a score for how deleterious a variant is, to classify a variant's level of deleteriousness, to prioritize variants for subsequent processing, and to compare a test variant to variants of known deleteriousness.

Abstract: Methods and systems for expanding a training set of one or more original biological sequences are provided. An original training set is obtained, wherein the original training set comprises one or more original biological sequences. Saliency values corresponding to one or more elements in each of the one or more original biological sequences are obtained. For each of the original biological sequences, one or more modified biological sequences are produced and the one or more modified biological sequences are associated with the original biological sequence. One or more elements are generated in each of the one or more modified biological sequences using one or more elements in the associated original biological sequence and the corresponding saliency values. The one or more modified biological sequences for each of the original biological sequences are added to the original training set to form an expanded training set.

Abstract: Systems and methods for training a neural network or an ensemble of neural networks are described. A hyper-parameter that controls the variance of the ensemble predictors is used to address overfitting. For larger values of the hyper-parameter, the predictions from the ensemble have more variance, so there is less overfitting. This technique can be applied to ensemble learning with various cost functions, structures and parameter sharing. A cost function is provided and a set of techniques for learning are described.

Abstract: We describe systems and methods for generating and training convolutional neural networks using biological sequences and relevance scores derived from structural, biochemical, population and evolutionary data. The convolutional neural networks take as input biological sequences and additional information and output molecular phenotypes. Biological sequences may include DNA, RNA and protein sequences. Molecular phenotypes may include protein-DNA interactions, protein-RNA interactions, protein-protein interactions, splicing patterns, polyadenylation patterns, and microRNA-RNA interactions, which may be described using numerical, categorical or ordinal attributes. Intermediate layers of the convolutional neural networks are weighted using relevance score sequences, for example, conservation tracks.

Abstract: The present disclosure provides antisense oligonucleotides, compositions, and methods that target ATP7B exon 6 or a flanking intron, thereby modulating splicing of ATP7B pre-mRNA to increase the level of ATP7B mRNA molecules having exon 6, e.g., to provide a therapy for Wilson disease. The present disclosure provides an antisense oligonucleotide including a nucleobase sequence at least 70% complementary to an ATP7B target sequence in exon 6, a 5?-flanking intron, a 3?-flanking intron, or a combination of exon 6 and the 5?-flanking or 3?-flanking intron.

Abstract: Systems and methods for scoring and visualizing the effects of variants in biological sequences. Variants may include substitutions, insertions and deletions. The method comprises encoding biological sequences as vector sequences and then operating a neural network in the forward-propagation mode and possibly in the back-propagation mode to compute variant scores. Variant scores are determined by normalizing the gradients. Variant scores may be used to select a subset of variants, which are then used to produce modified vector sequences which are analyzed by the neural network operating in forward-propagation mode, to determine improved variant scores. The variant scores may be visualized using black and white, greyscale or colored elements that are arranged in blocks with dimensions corresponding to different possible symbols and the length of the sequence. These blocks are aligned with the biological sequence, which is illustrated by a symbol sequence arranged in a line.

Abstract: The present disclosure provides compositions and methods for treating a disorder associated with mutations in the CEP290 gene. The disclosure includes synthetic polynucleotides for skipping a reading-frame of a CEP290 pre-RNA, yielding a CEP290 translated product that lacks one or more exons. The disclosure also provides methods of treating patients with the synthetic polynucleotides disclosed herein.

Abstract: The present disclosure provides systems and methods for determining effects of genetic variants on selection of polyadenylation sites (PAS) during polyadenylation processes. In an aspect, the present disclosure provides a polyadenylation code, a computational model that can predict alternative polyadenylation patterns from transcript sequences. A score can be calculated that describes or corresponds to the strength of a PAS, or the efficiency in which it is recognized by the 3?-end processing machinery. The polyadenylation model may be used, for example, to assess the effects of anti-sense oligonucleotides to alter transcript abundance. As another example, the polyadenylation model may be used to scan the 3?-UTR of a human genome to find potential PAS.

Abstract: We describe a system and a method that ascertains the strengths of links between pairs of biological sequence variants, by determining numerical link distances that measure the similarity of the molecular phenotypes of the variants. The link distances may be used to associate knowledge about labeled variants to other variants and to prioritize the other variants for subsequent analysis or interpretation. The molecular phenotypes are determined using a neural network, called a molecular phenotype neural network, and may include numerical or descriptive attributes, such as those describing protein-DNA interactions, protein-RNA interactions, protein-protein interactions, splicing patterns, polyadenylation patterns, and microRNA-RNA interactions. Linked genetic variants may be used to ascertain pathogenicity in genetic testing, to identify drug targets, to identify patients that respond similarly to a drug, to ascertain health risks, or to connect patients that have similar molecular phenotypes.

Abstract: Systems and methods for training a neural network or an ensemble of neural networks are described. A hyper-parameter that controls the variance of the ensemble predictors is used to address overfitting. For larger values of the hyper-parameter, the predictions from the ensemble have more variance, so there is less overfitting. This technique can be applied to ensemble learning with various cost functions, structures and parameter sharing. A cost function is provided and a set of techniques for learning are described.

Abstract: Systems and methods for training a neural network or an ensemble of neural networks are described. A hyper-parameter that controls the variance of the ensemble predictors is used to address overfitting. For larger values of the hyper-parameter, the predictions from the ensemble have more variance, so there is less overfitting. This technique can be applied to ensemble learning with various cost functions, structures and parameter sharing. A cost function is provided and a set of techniques for learning are described.

Abstract: Described herein are systems and methods that receive as input a DNA or RNA sequence, extract features, and apply layers of processing units to compute one ore more condition-specific cell variables, corresponding to cellular quantities measured under different conditions. The system may be applied to a sequence containing a genetic variant, and also to a corresponding reference sequence to determine how much the condition-specific cell variables change because of the variant. The change in the condition-specific cell variables are used to compute a score for how deleterious a variant is, to classify a variant's level of deleteriousness, to prioritize variants for subsequent processing, and to compare a test variant to variants of known deleteriousness.