Between June and September 2022 the GENIGMA app remained open with new data from the breast cancer genome. The goal was to validate the tool and test different resolution to obtain best results for research.
The challenge we launched in the summer was to solve 250 new sets of 15 and 12 pieces at different resolutions. If during the #GenigmaChallenge each piece that moved in the puzzle was the size of 100,000 base pairs of DNA, the new games were uploaded at a resolution of 10K (i.e. each piece is the size of 10,000 base pairs) or 1Mb (each piece is the size of 1,000,000 base pairs).
To give you an idea, it is as if instead of looking at contries, now we want to look at continents or cities.
In these 3 months, more than 5400 people (of which 2300 were new players) have collaborated in this new test by playing in their free time. It’s awsome!
The latest solutions received have shed new light on the research. Although in the case of most of the games at 1Mb resolution similar results to those found by a basic algorithm were found, in the regions of chromosome 9 played at the same resolution players did find new regions eureka! This would confirm that people are able to identify regions of interest where algorithms cannot, which opens the possibility of using a different resolution strategy in the future to achieve better results.
In the case of the sets of Eureka regions previously identified during the #GenigmaChallenge offered at a resolution of 10Kb, the players did not identify any additional rearrangements, indicating that there would be no further structural changes in the genome in these regions analysed compared to those previously found.
After these last tests and almost 700,000 data collected, we conclude today the first #GenigmaChallenge dedicated to breast cancer. Now it is time for the scientific teams to analyse the results of GENIGMA in depth, before launching a new challenge to the public.
The CNAG and the CRG would like to thank all the people who have collaborated in this scientific challenge for their time and enthusiasm.
On 3 October we will momentarily close the app. We will keep you informed of all the news on our social networks.
See you soon Genigmers!
