![]() ![]() ![]() The first one is the sequencing technologies themselves in a never-ending battle for more data with increased accuracy using poorer samples. Now in the era of “big data”, each new advancement is pushed along two fronts. Advances in sequencing technologies and computational pipelines for genomic data reconstruction have made these experiments tenable for non-experts and have allowed scientists to pose questions that were not even imaginable a few years ago. Genome sequencing technologies have come a long way in a surprisingly short time. It was not very long ago where that idea would have been considered cost-prohibitive and unrealistic. ![]() ![]() It is becoming commonplace in many laboratories to perform whole-genome sequencing and create a draft genome assembly as the first step of working with a new organism. Our ability to decipher DNA, the building blocks that define the state and evolution of life, has fundamentally changed our understanding and interaction with living beings. Here, we present a brief overview of sequencing technologies and the current state of metagenome assemblies to suggest the need to develop new data formats that can capture the genetic variations within strains and communities, which previously remained invisible due to sequencing technology limitations. In the near future, we will be able to detect MAG assembly variations within strains originating from diverging sub-populations, and one of the emerging challenges will be to capture these variations in a biologically relevant way. Our ability to interrogate increasingly complex microbial communities through metagenomes and MAGs is opening up a tantalizing future where we may be able to delve deeper into the mechanisms and genetic responses emerging over time. The pace of sequencing is still increasing in response to advances in technologies, paving the way from sequenced genes to genomes to metagenomes to metagenome-assembled genomes (MAGs). Genome sequencing has fundamentally changed our ability to decipher and understand the genetic blueprint of life and how it changes over time in response to environmental and evolutionary pressures. ![]()
0 Comments
Leave a Reply. |
AuthorWrite something about yourself. No need to be fancy, just an overview. ArchivesCategories |