Workflow: Animal genome assembly
The release of the first animal genome sequence, for the nematode Caenorhabditis elegans, instigated a new era of animal genome sequencing and the acquisition of a wealth of knowledge about animal biology, evolution, and biodiversity. However, despite such progress, only around 0.2% of animal species have had their genomes sequenced, and because many assemblies have been derived using short-read sequencing technology, many remain incomplete.
Compared to short-read data, long and ultra-long nanopore sequencing reads enable the resolution of repeat-rich sequences and large-scale structural variants, and demonstrate a lack of bias in GC-rich regions, supporting the assembly of high-quality, highly contiguous animal genomes. Epigenetic modifications can also be explored through direct sequencing of native DNA. These strengths, in combination with the high yield and throughput of PromethION sequencing devices, allow nanopore technology to further our understanding of genetic variation across the animal kingdom, and therefore may ultimately advance breeding and conservation efforts.
Here we present a simple workflow for animal genome assembly from a mammalian blood sample using PromethION Flow Cells.