Journal of Computer Science & Systems Biology

Challenges and Strategies for Next Generation Sequencing (NGS) Data Analysis

Abstract

Vivek Thakur and Rajeev Varshney

Next Generation Sequencing (NGS) technologies enable the resequencing of entire - genomes or the sampling of entire transcriptomes more effi ciently and economically and with greater depth than ever before. Rather than sequencing individual genomes, now it is possible to sequence hundreds or even thousands of related genomes to sample genetic diversity within and between germplasm pools. Identifying and tracking genetic variation is now so effi cient and precise that thousands of variants can be tracked within large populations. While NGS technologies have signifi cant implications on crop breeding, optimization and availability of appropriate methodologies and tools to analyze, visualize and intrepret NGS data are still in their infancy. With an objective to help crop genetics and breeding community to utilize NGS data for crop improvement, Generation Challenge Programme, Mexico and ICRISAT, India organized an international workshop entitled “Next Generation Sequencing (NGS) Data Analysis” during Jul 21-23, 2009. More than 30 scientists from nine countries (USA, UK, France, Korea, Japan, Australia, Mexico, Philippines and India) participated in the workshop. The workshop had four technical sessions and two brainstorming sessions in which participants shared their experience/views on data generation and analysis by using NGS technologies for accelerating plant genome research to understand genome dynamics as well as to facilitate crop breeding. This article presents a report on this international workshop. All presentations made in this workshop have been made available online (http:// www.icrisat.org/bt-publicdomain-ngs.htm).