NEXT-GENERATION WHOLE-GENOME SEQUENCING PLATFORMS AND FACTORS TO CONSIDER FOR BACTERIAL APPLICATIONS

Abstract

Next-generation sequencing (NGS) technologies are increasingly being used by microbiologists for characterizing bacterial isolates. A draft genome can now be obtained within a few days. With the recent technological advancements in NGS, the affordability and feasibility of this technique promises to redirect such tasks from research laboratories to the daily practices of clinical and environmental microbiology laboratories in the near future. This short technical note will introduce the average microbiologist, who may have only limited knowledge of NGS technologies, to the most commonly used platforms currently on the market. The advantages and disadvantages of each platform and the technical-terminology essential to navigate the planning phase of any bacterial genome assembly are also highlighted.