SmithHunter: a workflow for the identification of candidate smithRNAs and their targets

The study of smithRNAs is still in its infancy and no dedicated analytical workflow is currently available. At its core, the SmithHunter workflow builds over the bioinformatic procedure originally applied to identify candidate smithRNAs in the Manila clam. In fact, this is currently the only evidence for smithRNAs that has been biologically validated and, therefore, the elective starting point for characterizing smithRNAs in other species. The original analysis was readapted using current software implementations and some minor issues were solved. Moreover, the workflow was improved by allowing the customization of different analytical parameters, mostly focusing on stringency and the possibility of accounting for a minimal level of genetic differentiation among samples.