Meeting Abstract
Whole genome sequences provide a window into the organismal biology, ecological significance, and evolutionary history of taxa. However, many organisms exist in association with diverse microbial communities. While these symbioses can drive important ecological interactions, they often prove a hindrance to genome sequencing and assembly. The phylum Porifera represents one such group in which high microbial abundance can complicate and even prevent the generation of accurate genomic data for novel species. Although sponges form one of the earliest branching clades within Animalia and could reveal much about early metazoan evolution, few high quality genomes exist for these organisms. We are developing methods to deal more efficiently with microbial contamination issues, including generating longer sequencing reads and downstream bioinformatics approaches. Here we test the efficacy of these strategies for the genome of the Demosponge Aplysina cauliformis, the row pore rope sponge.
