PGA4genomics for comparative genome assembly based on genetic algorithm optimization

Abstract

New sequencing technologies greatly facilitate the large-scale bacterial genome sequencing by reducing cost. However, a considerable bottleneck is in the finishing phase, where dozens to hundreds of gaps need to be closed. In this study, we constructed a web server (PGA4genomics) to help users automate gap closing based on comparative genomic syntenies. Extensive evaluations showed that it significantly outperforms previous methods and can produce highly accurate layout result, especially when assembling genomes that are only moderately related. The availability of such a platform would greatly benefit the research community working on bacterial genomics. PGA4genomics can be accessed at two mirror sites http://centre.bioinformatics.zj.cn:8080/pga or http://59.79.168.90:8080/pga.