Methods and systems for evaluating a query perturbation, in a cell based assay representing a test state, are provided. Control data points having dimensions representing measurements of different features across control cell aliquots are obtained. Test data points having dimensions representing measurements of different features across test cell aliquots are obtained. A composite test vector is computed between measures of central tendency across the control data points and measures of central tendency across the test data points. Query perturbation data points having dimensions representing measurements of different features across perturbation cell aliquots are obtained. A composite query perturbation vector is computed between measures of central tendency across the control data points and measures of central tendency across the plurality of query perturbation data points.