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bioRxiv · 10.64898/2026.04.08.717258

Conditional genome-wide associations reveal novel genes

Bellis, E. S.·Robertson, M.·Booker, W. W.·Rudin, C. D. S.·Alvarez, M. F.
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Abstract

We introduce two novel approaches for gene discovery based on conditional genome-wide associations. Experimental validation of gene targets identified by our top-performing approach uncovers three genes with a previously unknown role in controlling flowering time in Arabidopsis, one of the most well-studied traits in the most well-studied plant genome. This work demonstrates the power of knockoff-based frameworks to uniquely identify novel genes underlying complex traits, a core task across applications in agriculture and human health.

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Bellis, E. S., Robertson, M., Booker, W. W., Rudin, C. D. S., Alvarez, M. F.. 2026-04-09. Conditional genome-wide associations reveal novel genes. https://doi.org/10.64898/2026.04.08.717258

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