Influenza virus genotype to phenotype predictions through machine learning: a systematic review.

Journal: Emerging microbes & infections
Published Date:

Abstract

BACKGROUND: There is great interest in understanding the viral genomic predictors of phenotypic traits that allow influenza A viruses to adapt to or become more virulent in different hosts. Machine learning techniques have demonstrated promise in addressing this critical need for other pathogens because the underlying algorithms are especially well equipped to uncover complex patterns in large datasets and produce generalizable predictions for new data. As the body of research where these techniques are applied for influenza A virus phenotype prediction continues to grow, it is useful to consider the strengths and weaknesses of these approaches to understand what has prevented these models from seeing widespread use by surveillance laboratories and to identify gaps that are underexplored with this technology.

Authors

  • Laura K Borkenhagen
    Department of Infectious Disease and Global Health, Cummings School of Veterinary Medicine, Tufts University, North Grafton, MA, USA.
  • Martin W Allen
    Department of Computer Science, School of Engineering, Tufts University, Medford, MA, USA.
  • Jonathan A Runstadler
    Department of Infectious Disease and Global Health, Cummings School of Veterinary Medicine, Tufts University, North Grafton, MA, USA.