Genomesequenced

Genomesequenced describes an organism, cell line, or sample whose genome sequence has been determined using DNA sequencing technologies. A genomesequenced genome yields a digital sequence record that can be used for downstream analyses and is often accompanied by metadata, assembly metrics, and functional annotations. In practice, genomesequenced data are deposited in public databases such as GenBank, the European Nucleotide Archive, or the DNA Data Bank of Japan, and assigned accession numbers.

Sequencing methods typically combine short-read and long-read technologies to produce a high-quality assembly. De novo assembly builds contigs and scaffolds without a reference, while reference-guided approaches align reads to an existing genome. Quality metrics include coverage depth, contiguity (N50), completeness assessments (e.g., BUSCO), and error rates. Annotation identifies genes, regulatory elements, and other features.

Genomesequenced genomes underpin diverse fields: comparative genomics and phylogeny, epidemiology and outbreak tracing, plant and animal breeding, and translational research in medicine. They enable variant discovery, gene function studies, and the construction of pangenomes that capture species-wide diversity.

Limitations and considerations include incomplete assemblies, repetitive regions, structural variation, and potential biases from sequencing technology. In human data, privacy and consent are important concerns. Ethical data sharing and governance vary by jurisdiction, but many genome sequences are shared openly to advance science, subject to appropriate safeguards.