A Primer on Infectious Disease Bacterial Genomics

Area of Science:

• Microbiology
• Genomics
• Bioinformatics

Background:

• The increasing affordability of high-throughput sequencing (HTS) technologies fuels a rise in large-scale genomics projects.
• HTS enables comprehensive bacterial typing, molecular epidemiology, and pathogenomic studies through whole-genome sequencing (WGS).
• Analyzing large HTS datasets presents computational and bioinformatics challenges for novice researchers.

Purpose of the Study:

• To provide a comprehensive overview of bacterial genomics projects utilizing HTS.
• To highlight the critical planning and computational requirements for HTS data analysis.
• To offer a foundational understanding of analytical concepts for developing effective HTS workflows.

Main Methods:

• Overview of bacterial genomics project lifecycle.
• Focus on computational and planning aspects of HTS data.
• Explanation of analytical concepts for workflow development.

Main Results:

• A structured approach to bacterial genomics projects using HTS.
• Identification of key computational and bioinformatics needs.
• Guidance on developing tailored analytical workflows.

Conclusions:

• Successful HTS bacterial genomics projects require careful planning and resource allocation.
• Understanding computational demands is crucial for effective data analysis.
• This overview serves as a guide for researchers to meet project objectives using HTS.