DeepSol results and interpretation
Understand protein solubility scores and prediction confidence from DeepSol CNN.
You get back a solubility probability (0–1) and a soluble/insoluble call for each sequence. That score sets your next move: a high score prioritizes a protein for direct expression, while a low one flags likely inclusion-body formation, so you can plan solubility tags, refolding, or an alternative host before running the trial.
Output fields
id: your submitted identifier from FASTA header or CSV (if provided).sequence: the input amino acid sequence processed by the model.solubility_score: predicted probability of soluble E. coli expression (0-1 scale).prediction: binary classification (solubleorinsoluble) based on 0.5 threshold.confidence: model certainty derived from CNN output layer.warnings: array of strings with validation or domain-fit notes.
Interpreting solubility scores
The solubility score represents the probability that a protein will be expressed in soluble form in E. coli:
- 0.7-1.0 (High): Strong likelihood of soluble expression; prioritize for direct expression trials.
- 0.5-0.7 (Medium): Moderate solubility expected; consider optimizing expression conditions or using solubility tags.
- 0.3-0.5 (Low): Likely to form inclusion bodies; plan for refolding protocols or alternative expression systems.
- 0.0-0.3 (Very Low): High probability of insoluble expression; consider fusion partners, truncations, or alternative hosts.
Model performance context
DeepSol achieves 77% accuracy with a Matthews Correlation Coefficient (MCC) of 0.55 on benchmark datasets. This represents:
- Over 3.5% higher accuracy than PaRSnIP
- Over 15% higher accuracy than PROSO II
The CNN architecture exploits k-mer structure in protein sequences and combines sequence-level features with structural properties derived from the amino acid composition.
Calibration and limits
- Model trained and validated on E. coli expression data; predictions are specific to bacterial expression systems.
- Predictions for proteins far from the training domain (e.g., membrane proteins, highly disordered sequences) may be less reliable.
- The model predicts intrinsic solubility tendency; actual expression outcomes also depend on conditions, strain, and protocol.
- For critical decisions, validate predictions experimentally with small-scale expression trials.
Quality checks
- Confirm
warningsis empty before downstream use; otherwise flag for manual review. - Track distribution of scores across your protein set to identify potential batch effects.
- Compare predictions against any known soluble/insoluble proteins in your dataset as internal controls.
- Consider the biological context: some proteins may require cofactors or partners for proper folding.
Canvas Visualization
When a DeepSol job completes, a result card appears on the canvas.
- Card size: 350x300px
- Border color: Orange (#FF9800)
- Visualization: Solubility prediction summary
Tier 2 Metrics
- Solubility score
- Confidence percentage
- LogP
- Molecular weight
- HBD / HBA counts
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