About Zhejiang University
Located in the historical and picturesque city of Hangzhou, Zhejiang University is a prestigious institution of higher education with a long history. Qiushi Academy, the predecessor of Zhejiang University, was founded in 1897 and was one of the earliest modern academies of higher learning established in China.
Zhejiang University focuses on assiduous study and research, and science and technological innovation. It has launched a number of international high-end academic platforms and gathered masters, scholars and high-level research teams in various disciplines. In recent years, Zhejiang University maintains a leading position in China in output indicators including publications, patents and etc., and has made abundant important achievements in science, technology, humanities and social sciences. Zhejiang University always takes initiative in catering for national and regional needs, and exerts itself to become an influential high-level source of innovati
Credit: JING Gongchao
A new algorithm may reduce the need for expensive, time-consuming whole-genome sequencing computations to understand how a microbiome functions. A team led by JING Gongchao of the Qingdao Institute of BioEnergy and Bioprocess Technology (QIBEBT) of the Chinese Academy of Sciences (CAS) and SU Xiaoquan of Qingdao University, published their approach, called Meta-Apo, on Jan. 6 in
BMC Genomics.
Researchers routinely sequence samples of microbial communities found on human skin, in human guts, and in the environment to understand what genes they contain with the ultimate goal of understanding how they function.
According to JING, the first author of the study, two main approaches exist: shotgun whole-genome sequencing and 16S rRNA gene amplicons. Whole-genome sequencing requires significant sequencing cost as well as computing power to determine all of the genes and their functions in a single sample, while 16S rRNA gene amplicons can quickly tease out a sa