Bernhard Bein

Sep 27, 2024 | biorxiv.org | Bernhard Bein |Ioannis Chrysostomakis |Larissa S. Arantes |Tom Brown

AbstractMuseum collections harbor millions of samples, largely unutilized for long-read sequencing. Here, we use ethanol-preserved samples containing kilobase-sized DNA to show that amplification-free protocols can yield contiguous genome assemblies. Additionally, using a modified amplification-based protocol, employing an alternative polymerase to overcome PCR bias, we assembled the 3.1 Gb maned sloth genome, surpassing the previous 500 Mb protocol size limit.

Mar 7, 2024 | biorxiv.org | Ioannis Chrysostomakis |Larissa S. Arantes |Tom Brown |Bernhard Bein

AbstractAdvances in long-read sequencing technology have shifted a key challenge in biodiversity genomics from DNA sequencing and genome assembly to obtaining suitable samples. Although flash-frozen samples remain the gold standard, they are often unattainable. In contrast, natural history collections worldwide harbor millions of ethanol-preserved samples, but such samples remain largely unutilized for long-read sequencing.