System and Method for Detecting Inhibition of a Biological Assay

A method, comprising:

• receiving a plurality of data sets, wherein each data set is associated with a biological assay, each data set including measurements, performed on the associated biological assay by a nucleic acid amplification device of a specified type and collected over at least a portion of a nucleic acid amplification cycle, of a target nucleic acid detected within the associated biological assay, wherein the target nucleic acid is associated with a target organism;
• labeling, as false negative data sets, those data sets from the plurality of data sets that are associated with biological assays that tested negative for the target nucleic acid due to matrix inhibition and that would have tested positive had matrix inhibition not been present;
• labeling, as true negative data sets, those data sets from the plurality of data sets that are associated with biological assays that correctly tested negative for the target nucleic acid;
• and
• training a machine-learning system with the true negative and false negative data sets to detect biological assays that tested negative for the target nucleic acid due to matrix inhibition.