Detecting foreign inserted DNA segments in the genome.

INSIDER helps streamline the process of finding genetic elements that are different to the rest of the organism; and it can do that even in poorly characterized wild species, spotting emerging biological threats early.

Detecting DNA that does not belong to an organism is trivial if the identity of the novel sequence is known or if the host genome is well characterised. However, this information is often unavailable in many health and biosecurity contexts. Genomes of wild species are often poorly characterized, or the foreign DNA is of unknown origin, making the detection of foreign DNA a complicated and time-consuming process.

To address this need, we developed INSIDER, a new software for detecting foreign DNA in the genome. INSIDER is one of the first tools designed to function with no prior knowledge about the genome or the foreign genetic element, making it ideal for detecting foreign DNA in poorly characterised or completely novel genomes.