Predicting progress in directed mapping projects.

Abstract

Several recent mapping efforts have used so-called "directed" approaches to construct their maps. However, most, but not all, published methods for modeling the progress in physical mapping projects have been focused on random approaches, such as bottom-up fingerprinting and STS-content mapping. In addition, those few efforts that did model directed approaches used methods that required assuming that all insert lengths were the same. This assumption is unnecessary. Using properties of stationary processes, one can derive simple asymptotic formulas that apply equally to constant and variable clone lengths. Also, in the case of constant clone lengths, these results are equivalent to, and extend, those published results for directed mapping derived by other methods. Simulations show that these methods provide estimates well within the limits of uncertainty inherent in any mapping project.