Build a Dual-Species Metagenomic Contamination Classifier
Examine mixed-read FASTA sequence repositories to detect microbial contamination in mammalian cell-line catalogs. Compute sequence complexity indices and generate quarantine manifests for cell-line biocurators.
What you are building
The core problem, expected build, and operating context for this challenge.
Examine mixed-read FASTA sequence repositories to detect microbial contamination in mammalian cell-line catalogs. Compute sequence complexity indices and generate quarantine manifests for cell-line biocurators.
Genomics Core Facility Scientist
Load multi-sample FASTA sequence files from cell-line research gene package downloads.
Compute GC ratio distributions and pentamer frequencies using Biopython parsing modules.
Compare sequence composition against known mammalian and mycoplasma reference distributions.
Export a validated sequence purity index and alert biocurators to suspected microbial contamination.
Web console showing read distribution plots, GC-content shift metrics, and sample disposition actions.
Download public gene data packages with NCBI Datasets (--taxon rodent) and introduce synthetic microbial control fragments. Starter examples below are synthetic. They are not downloaded records.
Biopython Employ Biopython SeqIO readers and nucleotide counting functions to compute base composition metrics.
mlflow, biopython, numpy. mlflow logs assay quality parameters, GC-drift distributions, and contamination threshold runs over time. Local script execution with optional hosted LLM for generating biocurator narrative summaries.
Submit runnable source, pinned dependencies, setup commands, a working interface, example outputs, and a recorded end-to-end demo. Include tests and an action log.
Calculates sequence GC percentages across all ingested FASTA reads via Biopython.
Detects bimodal GC distributions indicative of dual-species foreign contamination.
Logs assay quality parameters and metric artifacts into an MLflow experiment run.
Emits human-actionable quarantine notifications for samples exceeding 15% contamination.
```json [ { "input": { "run_id": "RUN-CELL-881", "host_species": "Mus musculus", "expected_gc_mean": 0.42, "reads": [ { "id": "R1", "seq": "GCGCGCGCGCGCGCGCGCGCGCGCGC" }, { "id": "R2", "seq": "ATATATATATATATATATATATATAT" }, { "id": "R3", "seq": "ATCGATCGATCGATCGATCGATCGAT" } ] }, "expected_output": { "run_id": "RUN-CELL-881", "samples_analyzed": 3, "contamination_detected": true, "anomalous_read_ids": [ "R1" ], "recommendation": "flag_for_microbial_assay" } }, { "input": { "run_id": "RUN-CELL-882", "host_species": "Homo sapiens", "expected_gc_mean": 0.45, "reads": [ { "id": "R4", "seq": "ATCGATCGATCGATCGATCGATCGAT" } ] }, "expected_output": { "run_id": "RUN-CELL-882", "samples_analyzed": 1, "contamination_detected": false, "anomalous_read_ids": [], "recommendation": "pass" } } ] ```
Analytical quality assurance for cell line research; synthetic data only; no medical or in vitro diagnostic claims. Use mock external writes. Require human review before any real deployment.
Participation guide
Analytical quality assurance for cell line research; synthetic data only; no medical or in vitro diagnostic claims. Use mock external writes and human review.
How work is evaluated
Calculates sequence GC percentages across all ingested FASTA reads via Biopython. Detects bimodal GC distributions indicative of dual-species foreign contamination. Logs assay quality parameters and metric artifacts into an MLflow experiment run. Emits human-actionable quarantine notifications for samples exceeding 15% contamination.
Runnable source, pinned dependencies, setup commands, working interface, example outputs, recorded demo, tests, and action logs.
Challenge datasets
Public datasets, plus the private datasets you have access to.
How submissions are scored
These dimensions define what the evaluator checks and which criteria separate a passable run from a strong one.
Complete workflow
Load multi-sample FASTA sequence files from cell-line research gene package downloads. Compute GC ratio distributions and pentamer frequencies using Biopython parsing modules. Compare sequence composition against known mammalian and mycoplasma reference distributions. Export a validated sequence purity index and alert biocurators to suspected microbial contamination.
Missing or incorrect.
Partly complete, with documented gaps.
Complete, with reproducible evidence.
Correctness and evidence
Calculates sequence GC percentages across all ingested FASTA reads via Biopython. Detects bimodal GC distributions indicative of dual-species foreign contamination. Logs assay quality parameters and metric artifacts into an MLflow experiment run. Emits human-actionable quarantine notifications for samples exceeding 15% contamination.
Missing or incorrect.
Partly complete, with documented gaps.
Complete, with reproducible evidence.
Review interface
Web console showing read distribution plots, GC-content shift metrics, and sample disposition actions.
Missing or incorrect.
Partly complete, with documented gaps.
Complete, with reproducible evidence.
Safe execution
Analytical quality assurance for cell line research; synthetic data only; no medical or in vitro diagnostic claims.
This dimension contributes its full weight only when the submission satisfies the requirement. Partial credit is not awarded.
What you should walk away with
Load multi-sample FASTA sequence files from cell-line research gene package downloads.
Compute GC ratio distributions and pentamer frequencies using Biopython parsing modules.
Compare sequence composition against known mammalian and mycoplasma reference distributions.
Export a validated sequence purity index and alert biocurators to suspected microbial contamination.
Reference links and supporting material
Download public gene data packages with NCBI Datasets (--taxon rodent) and introduce synthetic microbial control fragments. Supplied starter examples are synthetic, not source extracts.
Challenge setup
Configuration summary for this challenge.
Challenge input
Input details are not configured.
MLflow
MLOps
Evaluated output
No output checks are configured.
- Load multi-sample FASTA sequence files from cell-line research gene package downloads. Compute GC ratio dis...
- Calculates sequence GC percentages across all ingested FASTA reads via Biopython. Detects bimodal GC distri...
- Web console showing read distribution plots, GC-content shift metrics, and sample disposition actions.
- 2 public reference cases
- 1 configured tool
Summary shows the first task, up to three tools, and up to three evidence items. Open the technical recipe to view all configured items.
View technical recipe
Configured tools
- MLflow · Optional
Evaluation contract
- Complete workflow · Weight 40
- Correctness and evidence · Weight 30
- Review interface · Weight 20
- Safe execution · Weight 10
Reference cases
- 2 public reference cases
Workflow tasks
No workflow tasks are configured.
Recipe freeze marker
No recipe freeze time is recorded.