Estimation of evolutionary rates

[glstott]

(Zenhub issue 187)

We want to extend MicrobeTrace to support estimation of evolutionary (molecular clock) rates from sequence-associated data. This will enable users to quantify the rate of genetic change over time and support downstream epidemiological interpretations (e.g., transmission timing, outbreak dynamics, and validation of clustering thresholds).

Will work on data that has
Molecular distances AND sample collection dates (required for rate estimation)

Acceptance Criteria

• Users can compute an evolutionary rate when sequence distances and dates are present
• Results update dynamically based on filters/subsets
• Regression plot renders correctly with labeled axes and slope
• Outputs include rate, R², and sample size
• System handles missing/invalid dates gracefully
• Computation performs within acceptable time for typical dataset sizes
• Results can be exported

[glstott]

Not part of original feature request, but given features available on other tools like https://clockor2.github.io/, it may be worth adding support for multiple molecular clocks on the same tree. For example, a user may want to get estimates for two branches associated with different clusters for a quick validation of difference before performing a more complex analysis.