OmegaPlus: A scalable tool for rapid detection of selective sweeps in whole-genome datasets

Abstract

Recent advances in sequencing technologies have led to the rapid accumulation of molecular sequence data. Analyzing whole-genome data (as obtained from next-generation sequencers) from intra-species samples allows to detect signatures of positive selection along the genome and therefore identify potentially advantageous genes in the course of the evolution of a population. We introduce OmegaPlus, an open-source tool for rapid detection of selective sweeps in whole-genome data based on linkage disequilibrium. The tool is up to two orders of magnitude faster than existing programs for this purpose and also exhibits up to two orders of magnitude smaller memory requirements. © The Author 2012. Published by Oxford University Press on behalf of The Society for Financial Studies. All rights reserved.