BOL: Related items

Ktrim: an extra-fast and accurate adapter- and quality-trimmer for sequencing data

Jit — Thu, 11 Feb 2021 21:39:05 -0600

Ktrim is written in C++ for GNU Linux/Unix platforms. After uncompressing the source package, you can find an executable file ktrim under bin/ directory compiled using g++ v4.8.5 and linked with libz v1.2.7 for Linux x86_64 system. If you could not run it (which is usually caused by low version of libc++ or libz library) or you want to build a version optimized for your system, you can re-compile the programs:

user@linux$ make clean && make

Address of the bookmark: https://github.com/hellosunking/Ktrim

Apollo: A Sequencing-Technology-Independent, Scalable, and Accurate Assembly Polishing Algorithm

BioStar — Mon, 16 Mar 2020 10:09:26 -0500

Apollo is an assembly polishing algorithm that attempts to correct the errors in an assembly. It can take multiple set of reads in a single run and polish the assemblies of genomes of any size. Described by Firtina et al. (preliminary version at https://arxiv.org/pdf/1902.04341.pdf

More at https://academic.oup.com/bioinformatics/advance-article/doi/10.1093/bioinformatics/btaa179/5804978?rss=1

Address of the bookmark: https://github.com/CMU-SAFARI/Apollo

Mom Knows Best

Jitendra Narayan — Thu, 22 Aug 2013 13:30:43 -0500

We always get instructions to wash our hands, sterilize kitchen stuff and bla bla. However, recent findings suggest something else. Perhaps we can't survive, or will face lots of problems if bacteria’s colonies are absent in mother womb. Please find the detail sources of microbial transmission in humans from mother to child in recently published PLOS paper.

http://www.plosbiology.org/article/info%3Adoi%2F10.1371%2Fjournal.pbio.1001631

Greengenes database

Jit — Wed, 29 Jun 2016 10:03:31 -0500

The greengenes web application provides access to the 2011 version of the greengenes 16S rRNA gene sequence alignment for browsing, blasting, probing, and downloading. The data and tools presented by greengenes can assist the researcher in choosing phylogenetically specific probes, interpreting microarray results, and aligning/annotating novel sequences. If you are an ARB user, you can use greengenes to keep your own local database current.

Address of the bookmark: http://greengenes.lbl.gov/cgi-bin/nph-index.cgi

CGView - Circular Genome Viewer

Rahul Nayak — Wed, 20 Jun 2018 10:15:57 -0500

CGView is a Java package for generating high quality, zoomable maps of circular genomes. Its primary purpose is to serve as a component of sequence annotation pipelines, as a means of generating visual output suitable for the web. Feature information and rendering options are supplied to the program using an XML file, a tab delimited file, or an NCBI ptt file. CGView converts the input into a graphical map (PNG, JPG, or Scalable Vector Graphics format), complete with labels, a title, legends, and footnotes. In addition to the default full view map, the program can generate a series of hyperlinked maps showing expanded views. The linked maps can be explored using any web browser, allowing rapid genome browsing, and facilitating data sharing. The feature labels in maps can be hyperlinked to external resources, allowing CGView maps to be integrated with existing web site content or databases. For examples of the various output types, see the CGView gallery. http://wishart.biology.ualberta.ca/cgview/gallery.html http://stothard.afns.ualberta.ca/downloads/CCT/index.html https://www.gview.ca/wiki/GView/WebHome https://server.gview.ca/ http://stothard.afns.ualberta.ca/cgview_server/ Paper https://academic.oup.com/bib/advance-article/doi/10.1093/bib/bbx081/4037458

Address of the bookmark: http://wishart.biology.ualberta.ca/cgview/

GeneMates: an R package for Detecting Horizontal Gene Co-transfer between Bacteria Using Gene-gene Associations Controlled for Population Structure

Rahul Nayak — Sat, 07 Mar 2020 05:52:20 -0600

GeneMates is an R package implementing a network approach to identify horizontal gene co-transfer (HGcoT) between bacteria using whole-genome sequencing (WGS) data. It is particularly useful for investigating intra-species HGcoT, where presence-absence status of acquired genes is usually confounded by bacterial population structure due to clonal reproduction.

https://www.biorxiv.org/content/10.1101/2020.02.29.970970v1

Address of the bookmark: https://github.com/wanyuac/GeneMates

HiBC: Human Intestinal Bacteria Collection

BioStar — Wed, 07 May 2025 05:49:19 -0500

The human gut is home to trillions of microorganisms, forming one of the most complex and dynamic microbial ecosystems known to science. The Human Intestinal Bacteria Collection (HiBC) is a pioneering initiative aimed at cataloging, preserving, and studying the diverse bacterial species that inhabit the human gastrointestinal tract. This curated collection serves as a critical resource for researchers working on microbiome-related health, disease, and therapeutics.

What is HiBC?

The Human Intestinal Bacteria Collection (HiBC) is a comprehensive, high-quality reference repository of bacterial isolates derived from human fecal samples. It focuses on anaerobic and facultative anaerobic bacteria that play pivotal roles in digestion, immune modulation, vitamin synthesis, and pathogen resistance. The collection includes both culturable strains and genomic data from unculturable taxa, bridging the gap between culture-dependent and -independent microbiome studies.

Why is HiBC Important?

Understanding Microbiome-Host Interactions
HiBC enables deeper insight into the functions of specific bacterial taxa in the gut. With well-characterized isolates, researchers can conduct mechanistic studies to explore how certain bacteria influence metabolism, inflammation, or mental health.
Precision Probiotics and Therapeutics
By providing access to native human gut microbes, HiBC supports the development of next-generation probiotics, live biotherapeutic products (LBPs), and fecal microbiota transplantation (FMT) alternatives.
Standardization and Reproducibility
With standardized cultivation and genomic protocols, HiBC ensures consistency across microbiome research studies, improving reproducibility and comparability of findings.
Antimicrobial Resistance (AMR) Surveillance
HiBC includes metadata on antibiotic resistance genes (ARGs), helping track the spread of AMR in commensal gut bacteria and understanding its implications for human health.

Key Features of HiBC

Culturable Bacteria Repository: A living collection of anaerobic and facultative strains isolated from healthy and diseased individuals worldwide.
Metadata-rich Entries: Each isolate is annotated with host details (age, health status, diet), geographical origin, phenotypic traits, and antibiotic susceptibility profiles.
Whole Genome Sequencing (WGS): High-quality genome assemblies for most strains to support functional and comparative genomics.
Interactive Database Access: User-friendly search and filtering options for strain selection based on taxonomy, function, or clinical relevance.
Cross-linking with Other Databases: Integration with NCBI, GOLD, and Human Microbiome Project (HMP) data for broader context and validation.

Applications of HiBC

Microbiome-based diagnostics and biomarker discovery
Host-microbe interaction studies in gnotobiotic mouse models
Gut microbiome modulation through diet, drugs, or engineered bacteria
Longitudinal studies of gut flora across age, geography, and lifestyle
Environmental and evolutionary microbiology of human-associated bacteria

Accessing HiBC

Researchers and interested parties can explore the HiBC database through its official website: https://www.hibc.rwth-aachen.de/. The platform offers comprehensive information on bacterial isolates, including taxonomy, cultivation conditions, and genomic data, facilitating advanced research in human gut microbiome studies.

Final Thoughts

The HiBC is a cornerstone resource in the rapidly evolving field of microbiome research. As science moves toward personalized medicine and microbial therapeutics, having a reliable and diverse collection of human gut bacteria is not just useful — it's essential. Whether you're a microbiologist, clinician, computational biologist, or biotechnologist, HiBC offers tools to accelerate discovery and innovation in gut microbiome science.

Zombies like bacteria!!!

Rahul Agarwal — Tue, 03 Sep 2013 08:44:15 -0500

Do you believe in Zombies stories … Hmm confused? Don’t worry there is a news for you. Scientists from the Integrated Ocean Drilling Program have announced the findings of the long-lived bacteria, reproducing only once every 10,000 years, which have been found in rocks 2.5km (1.5 miles) below the ocean floor that are as much as 100 million years old.

" the microbes exist in very low concentrations, of around 1,000 microbes in every tea spoon full of rock, compared with billions or trillions of bacteria that would typically be found in the same amount of soil at Earth's surface."

Reference:

http://www.bbc.co.uk/news/science-environment-23855436

BakRep (Denglish blend of Bakterien & Repository) simplifies access to this data

Neel — Wed, 13 Aug 2025 02:31:28 -0500

2,438,386 bacterial genomes at your fingertips consistently processed & characterized, enriched with metadata, accessible via a flexible search engine.

BakRep (Denglish blend of Bakterien & Repository) simplifies access to this data. It integrates enriched genomic information with metadata accessible via a flexible search-engine.

Key features

Assembly statistics: ensure data quality with genome-based key metrics
Taxonomic classification: robust, purely genome-based classifications (GTDB)
MLST: subtyping for deeper insights into genetic variation
Annotation: comprehensive & taxonomy-independent (Bakta)
Metadata: full original submission records

Address of the bookmark: https://bakrep.computational.bio/

Pango Lineage Analysis !

Abhi — Mon, 15 Nov 2021 03:38:29 -0600

The Pango nomenclature is being used by researchers and public health agencies worldwide to track the transmission and spread of SARS-CoV-2, including variants of concern. This website documents all current Pango lineages and their spread, as well as various software tools which can be used by researchers to perform analyses on SARS-COV-2 sequence data.

Address of the bookmark: https://cov-lineages.org/resources/pangolin/output.html