BOL

The BLAST+ 5 (Basic Local Alignment Search Tool) update has introduced several key enhancements aimed at improving performance, user experience, and compatibility with evolving genomic data standards. Here are the major updates:

1. Database Enhancements:

   • The BLAST databases have shifted fully to the version 5 (v5) format, which integrates built-in taxonomy information. This allows for more detailed and efficient sequence annotation and analysis.
   • Protein databases in v5 are now accession-based, supporting a broader range of sequences, including those from high-throughput projects and the Pathogen Detection Project. These databases also accommodate structural proteins with multi-character chain identifiers.

2. Performance Improvements:

   • Adaptive Composition-Based Statistics (CBS) is available as an experimental feature, enhancing the detection of novel results in protein-protein comparisons.
   • Updated algorithms improve the stability of search results, especially when fewer hits are requested than the default output.

3. Compatibility:

   • Support for the older v4 databases has been discontinued. The v5 format is now the default for all BLAST database updates, ensuring alignment with current standards in bioinformatics.

4. User-Friendly Changes:

   • Naming conventions for databases have been simplified to enhance clarity and ease of use. For example, database names no longer include version tags like "_v5".

5. Future-Proofing:

   • BLAST+ 5 aligns with current and upcoming data requirements, ensuring that researchers have access to the most comprehensive and modern resources for sequence alignment.

These updates reflect NCBI's commitment to maintaining BLAST as a leading tool for sequence analysis. For detailed release notes and additional guidance, refer to NCBI Insights here