Abstract
Next-generation sequencing (NGS) technologies have rapidly transformed microbiological research. To date, sequencing-based applications have relied on fully assembled reference genomes for bioinformatics analyses. However, despite the availability of consensus-driven genome sequences in public databases, the quality, completeness, authenticity, accuracy, and traceability of genomic data are inadequate. The lack of standards for genomic data leads to potential errors as researchers attempt to interpret their genomic information and make impactful correlations.
ATCC addressed these challenges by implementing a robust NGS and genome assembly workflow to enrich the characterization of the biological materials in our collection. The result is authenticated ATCC biological materials paired with reference-quality microbial genomes with corresponding metadata that are now publicly available to the scientific community on the ATCC Genome Portal (genomes.atcc.org).
Key Points
- Overview of the ATCC Genome Portal
- Discuss why ATCC is committed to providing reference-quality genomes for items within the microbial collections
- Understand ATCC’s approach to whole-genome sequencing, assembly, and genome annotation for producing high-quality, authenticated reference genomes
- Preview the future development roadmap of the ATCC Genome Portal and ATCC’s overall digital biology initiative
Presenter
Jonathan Jacobs, PhD
Senior Director of Bioinformatics, ATCC
Dr. Jonathan Jacobs leads ATCC’s Sequencing & Bioinformatics Center and the development of the ATCC Genome Portal. He has over 20 years of experience in molecular genetics, bioinformatics, and microbial genomics, and he has worked throughout his career at the interface of academia, government, and industry. He holds a joint Research Professor appointment at Syracuse University’s Forensic & National Security Sciences Institute in support of microbial forensics graduate student training and research, and he actively collaborates with several US public health laboratories involved in pathogen genomics research and surveillance. Dr. Jacobs is also certified in Product Management from Pragmatic Institute, and he has led successful commercial launches of several bioinformatics products into the market.
Reference-quality sequences
Through the ATCC Genome Portal, you can easily search, access, and analyze hundreds of reference-quality genome sequences. Our optimized methodology is designed to achieve complete, circularized (when biologically appropriate), and contiguous genomic elements by using short-read (viruses) and hybrid (bacteria and fungi) assembly techniques. We then took our workflow one step further by accompanying each stage of the process with rigorous quality control analyses that ensure our data are the highest quality possible. Only the data that passes all quality control criteria are published to the ATCC Genome Portal. Visit the portal today to find the high-quality data you need for your research.
Visit the portal
