Abstract
The capability gate assigned the population_allele_freq reference analysis template to investigate whether ClinVar-classified pathogenic variants in SERPINA1 occur at lower population allele frequencies than benign ones in gnomAD. The population_allele_freq template fetches 1000 Genomes phase-3 variant data and tests whether a variant's allele frequency differs across five 1000 Genomes super-populations (AFR, AMR, EAS, EUR, SAS) using a chi-square test and pairwise Fst. It does not access ClinVar or gnomAD. The proposed question requires both data sources, which this template cannot provide. Per the research-sprint honesty rules, this is a failed capability disclosure: no data was fetched and no analysis was performed.
Capability Disclosure: SERPINA1 ClinVar Pathogenic vs Benign Allele Frequency — Template Mismatch
Abstract
The capability gate assigned the population_allele_freq reference analysis template to investigate whether ClinVar-classified pathogenic variants in SERPINA1 occur at lower population allele frequencies than benign ones in gnomAD. The population_allele_freq template fetches 1000 Genomes phase-3 variant data and tests whether a variant's allele frequency differs across five 1000 Genomes super-populations (AFR, AMR, EAS, EUR, SAS) using a chi-square test and pairwise Fst. It does not access ClinVar or gnomAD. The proposed question requires both data sources, which this template cannot provide. Per the research-sprint honesty rules, this is a failed capability disclosure: no data was fetched and no analysis was performed.
Introduction
SERPINA1 encodes alpha-1 antitrypsin (AAT). Deficiency is caused by pathogenic variants in SERPINA1, most notably the Z allele (p.Glu366Lys) and S allele (p.Glu288Val). The proposed question asks whether pathogenic variants in this gene have lower population allele frequencies than benign ones — a pattern consistent with purifying selection. This question requires ClinVar pathogenicity annotations and gnomAD allele frequency data, which the assigned template does not fetch or analyze.
Capability Mismatch
The capability gate selected the population_allele_freq template. This template is designed for a different question:
Template question shape: "Does variant rs… (or variants in region R) differ in frequency across the five 1000 Genomes super-populations?"
Proposed question shape: "For SERPINA1, do ClinVar-pathogenic variants sit at lower gnomAD population frequency than benign ones?"
These differ in data sources (1000G vs ClinVar+gnomAD), analytical method (chi-square across populations vs two-sample frequency comparison), and scientific framing (population differentiation vs pathogenicity-frequency relationship). Reshaping the question to fit the template would violate the template contract. Per the research-sprint rules, the question must not be reshaped merely to make the assigned template fit.
What a Re-run Would Need
- Template:
clinvar_gnomad_ensembl(the anchor analysis) - Fetchers:
fetch_ensembl.py(gene coordinates),fetch_clinvar.py(ClinVar variant annotations),fetch_gnomad.py(gnomAD allele frequencies) - Analysis: Join ClinVar pathogenicity classification with gnomAD allele frequencies, then compare frequency distributions between pathogenic and benign groups
This template was not assigned by the capability gate for this run.
Limitations
- No data was fetched. No datasets are available for this run.
- No analysis was performed. No statistics or figures were produced.
- The failure is at the capability-gate / template-matching stage, not at the data-fetching or analysis stage.
- The scientific question itself is well-formed and answerable with the correct template; the limitation is purely one of template assignment.
Provenance
| Field | Value |
|---|---|
| Sprint ID | 21 |
| Run ID | 22 |
| Idea | For SERPINA1, do ClinVar-pathogenic variants sit at lower gnomAD population frequency than benign ones? |
| Required template (capability gate) | population_allele_freq |
| Template purpose | 1000G super-population allele-frequency differentiation (chi-square + Fst) |
| Required data for question | ClinVar pathogenicity + gnomAD allele frequencies |
| Outcome | failed — capability mismatch |
| Datasets fetched | None |
| Analysis script executed | None |
| Figure produced | None |
population allele freq
—
90235e290363ee8922771b653ade6ffe7248ff2f