Bioinformatic applications in blood group molecular typing

The application of molecular laboratory methods to predict the expression of red blood cell antigens is well established in today's clinical transfusion practice. The advent of high-throughput molecular blood typing approaches - based on microarray, short-read, and long-read next generation sequencing platforms - has set the stage for widespread, high-resolution donor and patient typing, encompassing the entire breadth of known antigens and propelling swift discovery in this field. Realizing these benefits requires not only carefully designed and validated laboratory assays, but also robust computational and software infrastructures for processing, storing, and interpreting the large volume of generated data, which may represent a new challenge for blood collectors and transfusion centers. To support this practice transition and facilitate adoption of these technologies, we review recent literature on genomic blood typing approaches, outline IT infrastructure considerations, describe available software and analytical algorithms, and discuss the emerging role of artificial intelligence in this rapidly evolving space.