SeqDesk · original analysis

Raw reads and assembled genomes

Sequence data reaches ENA as raw reads, as assembled genomes, or both. This shows the mix each top submitting center deposits — assemblies per 100 read sets — straight from the public ENA archive.

Each bar is how many assembled genomes a center deposits per 100 raw read sets; the grey tick is the whole-archive average (12 per 100). The mix varies widely with the kind of sequencing a center does — pathogen surveillance and clinical isolates are often shared as raw reads, while genome and environmental projects more often deposit assemblies. Both are valid: raw reads are the right deposit for many uses, and a rate can exceed 100 because a genome is built from many reads and assemblies can be submitted without raw reads. A read set and an assembly are not one-to-one — a genome is assembled from many read sets, and assemblies can be submitted without raw reads — so this is a submission-volume ratio, not a per-sample share. Which mix is appropriate depends on the work; raw reads are the right deposit for many uses.

Raw reads and assembled genomes are different deposit types, each appropriate for different work; this simply shows the balance each center strikes. Re-counted weekly straight from the ENA Portal API (result=read_run and result=assembly, center_name filters). Only aggregate counts are published. · back to all research data