Automated detection of chromosomal rearrangements in multicolor fluorescence in-situ hybridization images

Multicolor fluorescence in situ hybridization (MFISH) is a 24-color method that allows simultaneous screening of the entire genome, and thus has the potential to delineate chromosomal rearrangements. Although, MFISH facilitates the visual detection of gross chromosomal anomalies, misclassified pixels and cross-hybridization, often makes manual examination difficult and introduce operator bias. Moreover, in the absence of prior knowledge regarding the genetic anomaly, interpretation of MFISH images is impracticable. New image analysis algorithms that operate on multiple karyotypes were developed for the MFISH, to allow automatic detection of chromosomal rearrangements. We were able to automatically discern chromosomal anomalies = 3 Mb in size.