Every association has an undertone.
Undertone turns genetic associations into testable biological hypotheses. It combines GWAS, fine-mapping, regulatory, expression, and functional evidence to show which variant likely acts, in which cell type, on which gene, through which mechanism.
Create analysisMove to reveal the mechanism
From locus to hypothesis.
Undertone connects GWAS signals to candidate variants, regulatory activity, target genes, and cell context, turning fragmented evidence into one traceable, testable biological hypothesis.
One traceable path from signal to mechanism
Observed results, computational inference, and biological support remain distinct while forming one testable hypothesis.
Association → Candidate variant → Regulatory action → Gene and context → Functional evidence → Mechanism hypothesis
Association
ObservedA genomic region is statistically associated with the studied trait. This is the starting signal, not yet a causal explanation.
Association → Candidate variant → Regulatory action → Gene and context → Functional evidence → Mechanism hypothesis
Candidate variant
ObservedFine-mapping compares correlated variants in the locus and estimates which variant is most likely to account for the association signal.
Association → Candidate variant → Regulatory action → Gene and context → Functional evidence → Mechanism hypothesis
Regulatory action
InferredThe candidate variant overlaps active regulatory sequence or a transcription-factor footprint, indicating how it may change gene regulation.
Association → Candidate variant → Regulatory action → Gene and context → Functional evidence → Mechanism hypothesis
Gene and context
SupportedExpression and colocalization evidence connect the genetic signal to a candidate target gene in a relevant tissue or cell population.
Association → Candidate variant → Regulatory action → Gene and context → Functional evidence → Mechanism hypothesis
Functional evidence
When availableReporter assays, MPRA, or CRISPR perturbation can test whether the proposed variant and regulatory element change biological activity.
Association → Candidate variant → Regulatory action → Gene and context → Functional evidence → Mechanism hypothesis
Mechanism hypothesis
AssembledUndertone assembles the retained evidence into a concrete statement linking variant, regulatory activity, cell context, target gene, and trait.
Association → Candidate variant → Regulatory action → Gene and context → Functional evidence → Mechanism hypothesis