I had the exactly same problem! It seems the problem is more of -Q33 option as I tried it.
Two things here:
1) which is the wrong quality score, i.e. ASCII char when you have the -Q33 on?
2) our sequence machine was run with the MS-Windows platform and the data was deposited on Linux storage disk. There might be a issue with this cross platform situation, but how to solve it?
Thanks a lot!
Unconfigured Ad
Collapse
X
-
There should be no space between the Q and the 33.
You also need to specify how you want to trim by setting variables for -f and -l e.g.
fastx_trimmer -Q33 -f 1 -l 50 -i input.fastq -o output.fastq
AFAIK Fastq's also need to be uncompressed for input but can be compressed on output using the -z flag.
Use fastx_trimmer -h for help
Leave a comment:
-
-
same problem
I am using fastq_quality_ trimmer for the first time and I am having this same problem also on Illumina generated data. Does anyone know what the solution to this is?
Leave a comment:
-
-
I use Ubuntu. The in.txt is a fastq file, which was downloaded directly from the sequencing facility website.
17kb is the expected fully assembled length.
Leave a comment:
-
-
shuang: Can you tell us what OS you are using to run the fastx_trimmer?
Did you open/edit the sequence file ("in.txt") in a non-unix OS (e.g. windows/OS X)?
What do you mean by sample length is 17kb?
Leave a comment:
-
-
When I use -Q 33, it didn't go much further, neither. Below is the command and the error message.
fastx_trimmer -i in.txt -Q 33 -o all.fastq
fastx_trimmer: Error: invalid quality score data on line 448 (quality_tok = "??????B?D?DDDBB?FFFF;FFBB>FFHHDD?EGH>EFEAECEDHHHHHGHFE:FDGA-CEDHHDBF>AAACF=AAEBGFGF?CDDEHH+=CCCCBDAFF?DF.6BFF66...=B<*645,,5A,5,,53>?;>A,A5==*..8A?*:C"
Leave a comment:
-
-
Illumina stopped using the Phred+64 offset sometime ago; they now use Phred+33. The fastx toolkit assumes Phred+64 by default so your two examples were exactly the same. As GenoMax said you need to use -Q33.Originally posted by shuang View PostI'm having problems in running commands of fastx tool. For example, when I ran fastx_trimmer,
fastx_trimmer -i in.txt -o out.fastq
I received this error
fastx_trimmer: Invalid quality score value (char '#' ord 35 quality value -29) on line 4
Even I tried to add "-Q 64", still the same error.
fastx_trimmer -i in.txt -Q 64 -o out.fastq
Why is that??
Leave a comment:
-
-
Sorry, I forgot to mention my sample is Illumina. The sample length is 17kb.
Leave a comment:
-
-
If your data is in sanger format then -Q 33 would be the option to add.
Leave a comment:
-
-
fastq_quality_trimmer error
I'm having problems in running commands of fastx tool. For example, when I ran fastx_trimmer,
fastx_trimmer -i in.txt -o out.fastq
I received this error
fastx_trimmer: Invalid quality score value (char '#' ord 35 quality value -29) on line 4
Even I tried to add "-Q 64", still the same error.
fastx_trimmer -i in.txt -Q 64 -o out.fastq
Why is that??Tags: None
-
Latest Articles
Collapse
-
by SEQadmin2
Data variability is still an issue in sequencing technologies despite the advances in reproducibility and accuracy of these platforms. But the problem does not originate in the sequencing itself, but in the previous steps, before the sample reaches the sequencer.
The first step is collection, followed by preservation and sample preparation for analysis. Most scientists overlook those steps, but not being careful might just be skewing the experiment’s results.
...-
Channel: Articles
06-02-2026, 10:05 AM -
-
by SEQadmin2
With the launch of new single-cell sequencing platforms in 2026, the field stands at an exciting inflection point. This article surveys the most impactful advances in the field and discusses how they’re reshaping research in cancer, immunology, and beyond.
Introduction
Single-cell sequencing technologies have undergone remarkable advances over the past decade, transitioning from low-throughput experimental approaches to highly scalable platforms capable of...-
Channel: Articles
05-22-2026, 06:42 AM -
-
by SEQadmin2
Studying ecosystems means dealing with complex, multi-species communities that are hard to observe at scale. This complexity, however, hides many important questions to be answered, from how biogeochemical cycles work and how climate change can affect species distribution to how conservation strategies can work best.
Genomics, particularly since the expansion of NGS, has transformed ecosystem ecology. By sequencing environmental DNA, we can now assess biodiversity without direct...-
Channel: Articles
05-06-2026, 09:04 AM -
ad_right_rmr
Collapse
News
Collapse
| Topics | Statistics | Last Post | ||
|---|---|---|---|---|
|
Started by SEQadmin2, 06-02-2026, 12:03 PM
|
0 responses
20 views
0 reactions
|
Last Post
by SEQadmin2
06-02-2026, 12:03 PM
|
||
|
Started by SEQadmin2, 06-02-2026, 11:40 AM
|
0 responses
14 views
0 reactions
|
Last Post
by SEQadmin2
06-02-2026, 11:40 AM
|
||
|
Started by SEQadmin2, 05-28-2026, 11:40 AM
|
0 responses
29 views
0 reactions
|
Last Post
by SEQadmin2
05-28-2026, 11:40 AM
|
||
|
Started by SEQadmin2, 05-26-2026, 10:12 AM
|
0 responses
31 views
0 reactions
|
Last Post
by SEQadmin2
05-26-2026, 10:12 AM
|
Leave a comment: