System and method for spectral data analysis

A system for generating a new organism having a target trait, comprising:

• one or more processors;
• a memory;
• and
• one or more programs, wherein the one or more programs are stored in the memory and configured to be executed by the one or more processors, the one or more programs including instructions for:
• receiving one or more spectrograms corresponding to each organism of a set of organisms;
• generating, from the one or more spectrograms, a plurality of spectrogram attributes characterizing wavelengths for each organism of the set of organisms;
• reducing a dimensionality of the plurality of spectrogram attributes to obtain a set of spectral variables, wherein a number of spectral variables in the set of spectral variables is smaller than a number of spectrogram attributes in the plurality of spectrogram attributes;
• selecting a spectral variable of interest from the set of spectral variables;
• determining a variable-to-variable model configured to predict values for the spectral variable of interest based on one or more other spectral variables of the set of spectral variables;
• determining substitute variable values for the spectral variable of interest using the variable-to-variable model;
• receiving observed trait values for the target trait from the set of organisms;
• determining a first influence metric for the spectral variable of interest based on variable values for the spectral variable of interest and the observed trait values for the target trait;
• determining a second influence metric for the spectral variable of interest based on the substitute variable values for the spectral variable of interest and the observed trait values for the target trait;
• and
• determining that the spectral variable of interest is a causal variable by comparing between the first influence metric and the second influence metric.

A non-transitory computer-readable storage medium storing one or more programs, the one or more programs comprising instructions, which when executed by one or more processors of an electronic device cause the electronic device to:

• receive one or more spectrograms corresponding to each organism of a set of organisms;
• generate, from the one or more spectrograms, a plurality of spectrogram attributes characterizing wavelengths for each organism of the set of organisms;
• reduce a dimensionality of the plurality of spectrogram attributes to obtain a set of spectral variables, wherein a number of spectral variables in the set of spectral variables is smaller than a number of spectrogram attributes in the plurality of spectrogram attributes;
• select a spectral variable of interest from the set of spectral variables;
• determine a variable-to-variable model configured to predict values for the spectral variable of interest based on one or more other spectral variables of the set of spectral variables;
• determine substitute variable values for the spectral variable of interest using the variable-to-variable model;
• receive observed trait values for a target trait from the set of organisms;
• determine a first influence metric for the spectral variable of interest based on variable values for the spectral variable of interest and the observed trait values for the target trait;
• determine a second influence metric for the spectral variable of interest based on the substitute variable values for the spectral variable of interest and the observed trait values for the target trait;
• and
• determine that the spectral variable of interest is a causal variable by comparing between the first influence metric and the second influence metric.