Python for next-generation sequencing
A group of my scientific colleagues who are working on novel next-generation sequencing approaches, recently approached me about developing some computational simulations of the processes underlying these new methods with a view to demonstrating their feasibility, but also to optimize them for use with large genomes – specifically our own human genome. This article is not about these new sequencing approaches per se, which are still under development and about which I am not in any case, at liberty to talk – but rather it is more a story about how a challenging genome sequencing project demonstrated once again, what an awesome tool Python can be, and inspired me to pen another “Python-for-the-biologist” mini tutorial.