Filtering

Filtered vs Total Results

CosmosID provides a filtering method that allows you to view both filtered and total (unfiltered) results for your samples. Filtered results show calls that meet our filtering threshold for high confidence that these calls are in the sample. Total results contain additional calls that are below the filtering threshold and may need further validation to determine if they are truly present in the sample.

You would typically use filtered results when you are looking at data where you want high confidence in your calls, like when working with clinical data. Many people use total results when looking at environmental samples where there may be organisms whose genomes are novel or diverge from most reference genomes.

How It Works

The filtering threshold which determines if results are considered significant is based on statistical scores determined by analyzing a large number of diverse metagenomes.

You will see filtering options in 2 places:

1. Sample Results

When reviewing your sample results, you have the ability to view filtered results or total results:

2. Comparative Analysis

When setting up a new comparative analysis, you can select filtered or total results:

When to Use Filtering

You would typically use filtered results when you are looking at data where you want high confidence in your calls, like when working with clinical data. Many people use unfiltered (total) results when looking at environmental samples where there may be organisms whose genomes are more novel or diverge from most reference genomes.

How it works: The filtering threshold which determines if results are considered significant is based on internal statistical scores determined by analyzing a large number of diverse metagenomes. Organisms listed in the filtered results are likely to be present in the sample. Unfiltered (total) results include those in the filtered results and usually additional organisms. Organisms listed in the unfiltered (total) results but not in the filtered results need further validation to determine if they are actually present in the sample - either by deeper sequencing of the sample followed by re-analysis or by orthogonal validation using targeted PCR or other methods.