Metagenomic assembly

Metagenomic assembly is a process used to analyze all the genetic material from a mixed sample, such as soil or water, containing many different microorganisms. Scientists extract DNA, sequence it into small pieces, and then computationally reconstruct the genomes of individual microbes by overlapping these sequences. This allows researchers to identify and study the diverse microbial communities present, even if they have never been grown in a lab. Essentially, metagenomic assembly helps us understand the genetic makeup and potential functions of complex microbial ecosystems directly from environmental samples.