Table 3.

Deduction of target genotype.

Participant ID	Sequence at nucleotide positions 1–7
	1	2	3	4	5	6	7
I	A	A	A	G	C	T	T
II	A	T	A	G	C	T	A
III	A	A	W	G	C	C	W
IV	A	A	A	A	C	T	T
V	A	A	A	G	Y	T	T
VI	A	A	A	A	C	T	T
VII	A	A	A	G	Y	A	T
Target genotype	A	A	A	R	Y	T	W

The target genotype (TG) represents the most likely consensus quasi-species detectable by DNA sequencing from each of the TAQAS panel samples. If one participant sequenced a different nucleotide from that sequenced by the all other participants, either as a partial or as a complete difference, then the TG is the consensus nucleotide sequenced by the other participants (e.g. Table 3 positions 2 and 3: TG=AA). If two or more participants reported an identical nucleotide which was different from the nucleotide reported by the other participants, the TG is a mixture of the two different nucleotide sequences reported (e.g. Table 3 positions 4 and 5: TG = RY). If two participants reported nucleotides different from those reported by the other participants and different from those reported by each other, the TG is the sequence reported by the majority (e.g. Table 3 position 6: TG = T). However, if two participants reported sequences different from those reported by the majority and one is a mixture that is present and contains the sequence reported by the majority and the other participant, the TG is the mixture (e.g. Table 3 position 7; TG = W). The ambiguity codes defined by the International Union of Biochemistry and Molecular Biology were interpreted to indicate mixtures. For example, if a participant reported a “W”, the interpretation was that the position had a mixture of adenine (A) and thymine (T).