Category Archives: genomics

A solution to the N50 filtering problem

This is the fourth in a series of posts where we explain the N50 (Nx) metric, discuss the problems surrounding it (1, 2), give solutions to those problems, and suggest an alternative N50 metric for transcriptome assemblies. In the two … Continue reading

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To RADseq or not to RADseq?

It’s a cliche to say that we live in a moment of unprecedented possibility for molecular ecology, as high-throughput sequencing methods drive the cost of collecting DNA sequence data ever lower. But at the same time, it’s a tricky moment, … Continue reading

Posted in adaptation, association genetics, genomics, methods, next generation sequencing, selection | Tagged , , , , | 8 Comments

You can call her queen bee: the role of epigenetics in honeybee development

Insects have social lifestyles that are often organized in castes. Within the insect community, different individuals specialize, each having a unique role. This efficient method of doling out the workload, ultimately, is believed to be why social insect lifestyles are … Continue reading

Posted in genomics, haploid-diploid, Molecular Ecology, the journal, next generation sequencing, RNAseq | Tagged , , | Leave a comment

The N50 misassembly problem

This is the third in a series of posts where we explain the N50 (Nx) metric, discuss the problems surrounding it, give solutions to those problems, and suggest an alternative N50 metric for transcriptome assemblies. In our previous post, we … Continue reading

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Right reads, wrong index? Concerns with data from Illumina's HiSeq 4000

Commanding around a 70% share of a 1.3 billion USD market, Illumina is the major player in next-generation sequencing (NGS) technology. More likely than not, if you’re a molecular ecologist working with NGS data, you’ve run your samples on a … Continue reading

Posted in genomics, next generation sequencing, RNAseq, technical, transcriptomics | Tagged , , , , | 5 Comments

The N50 filtering problem

This is the second in a series of posts where we explain the N50 (Nx) metric, discuss the problems surrounding it, give solutions to those problems, and suggest an alternative N50 metric for transcriptome assemblies. The problem with N50 (or … Continue reading

Posted in genomics | Tagged , , | 1 Comment

A sponge and its symbionts, using genomics to unravel complex relationships

The ocean is full of interesting organisms and even more fascinating (as well as difficult to tease apart) are the interactions among them. From deep sea giant tube worms, to the adorable bobtail squid, symbioses have a central role, and … Continue reading

Posted in Coevolution, community ecology, genomics, metagenomics, microbiology | Tagged , , | 1 Comment

What’s N50?

This is the first in a series of posts where we explain the N50 (Nx) metric, discuss the problems surrounding it, give solutions to those problems, and suggest an alternative N50 metric for transcriptome assemblies. Most genome assembly papers include … Continue reading

Posted in genomics | Tagged , , | 9 Comments

Small Molecules, Big Differences

Mary Latimer wrote this post as a final project for Stacy Krueger-Hadfield’s Science Communication course at the University of Alabama at Birmingham. She is a third year PhD student at UAB studying miRNAs and methionine restriction. Her hobbies include cats, netflix, … Continue reading

Posted in bioinformatics, blogging, evolution, genomics, natural history, next generation sequencing, RNAseq | Tagged , , , , | Leave a comment

Polyploidy in the era of GBS

Ploidy, dear reader, is something that I think about literally all the time. It impacts every facet of my research from the field to the bench to the stats used to analyze data sets. It’s been simultaneously the greatest and the … Continue reading

Posted in bioinformatics, evolution, genomics, haploid-diploid, Molecular Ecology, the journal, natural history, plants, speciation | Tagged , , , , | 1 Comment