Sequence Assembly, Search & Alignment

The process of arranging nucleotide sequences in the correct order is known as genome assembly. Because sequence read lengths are substantially shorter than most genomes or even most genes (at least for now), assembly is required. Genome assemblies are models for the actual genome, and as a result, they will never be perfect. A single assembly cannot capture all of the variation found among a species' populations, and it's practically difficult to eradicate all technological or computational errors. As a result, published genomes with a vibrant research community are constantly upgraded.

The Basic Local Alignment Search Tool (BLAST) is a program that searches for regions of similarity in biological sequences. The application calculates statistical significance by comparing nucleotide or protein sequences to sequence databases. Between sequences, BLAST discovers regions of local similarity. The program compares nucleotide or protein sequences to databases of sequences and estimates their statistical significance. BLAST may be used to infer functional and evolutionary links between sequences, as well as identify gene families.