Managing Sequencing Projects in the GAP4 Environment

Abstract

Methods for managing large scale sequencing projects are available through the use of our GAP4 package and the applications to which it can link are described. This main assembly and editing program, also provides a graphical user interface to the assembly engines: CAP3, FAKII, and PHRAP. Because of the diversity of working practices in the large number of laboratories where the package is used, these methods are very flexible and are readily tailored to suit local needs. For example, the Sanger Centre in the UK and the Whitehead Institute in the United States have both made major contributions to the human genome project using the package in different ways. The manual for the current (2001.0) version of the package is over 500 pages when printed, so this chapter is a brief overview of some of its most important components. We have tried to show a logical route through the methods in the package: pre-processing, assembly, contig1 ordering using read-pairs, contig joining using sequence comparison, assembly checking, automated experiment suggestions for extending contigs and solving problems, and ending with editing and consensus file generation. Before this overview, two important aspects of the package are outlined: the file formats used, the displays and the powerful user interface of GAP4. The package runs on UNIX and Microsoft Windows platforms and is entirely free to academic users, and can be downloaded from Website: http://www.mrc-lmb.cam.ac.uk/pubseq.