Workshop: A maximum likelihood method for quasispecies spectrum assembly

RNA viruses depend on error-prone RNA polymerase for replication within an infected host. These errors lead to a high mutation rate which creates a highly diverse population of related variants [1]. This viral population is known as a quasispecies. As breakthroughs in next-generation sequencing have allowed for researchers to apply sequencing to new areas, studying genomes of viral quasispecies is now realizable. By understanding the quasispecies, more effective drugs and vaccines can be manufactured as well as cost-saving metrics for infected patients [2] implemented.