A guide to microbial sequencing with Oxford Nanopore

Full characterisation of microbial genomes is advancing numerous fields of research. Sequencing of the human microbiome is shedding light on its role in health and disease, whilst sequencing of the pathogens behind outbreaks is improving our understanding of their origins, transmission, antimicrobial resistance (AMR) profiles, and virulence factors. In agriculture, timely detection of animal and plant pathogens is of great importance to animal welfare and food production.

High-accuracy nanopore sequencing can overcome the limitations of legacy technologies to characterise complete, contiguous, high-quality microbial genomes. Long nanopore reads enhance de novo genome assembly, enabling more accurate analysis of known and novel microbes, precise differentiation of closely related microbes, and complete plasmid reconstruction.