Reference Genome
Reference Genome
What is reference genome?
A reference genome—also known as a reference assembly—is a DNA sequence database expressed in digital. Researchers assemble and consider it as a representative example of a species' set of genes. By using de novo sequencing and assembly of complete hapolid genome of organism, reference genome sequences are generated. Although it is challange to generate assembled nucleic acid sequence, it is important since the reference genome helps the identification of most of the genes in an organism, and reveals structural feature of genome such as the order of repetitive sequences and the part of regulatory elements.
How reference genome is used?
As the new whole genome sequencing technologies are developed, the cost for DNA sequencing decreases. As a result, many new genome sequences continue to be produced. Typically, reference genomes are used for guiding new genomes are generated, being platform for alignment of sequence. Then new genome is assembled much more quickly and cheaply than the initial Human Genome Project and Next Generation Sequencing (NGS) method.
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