February 07, 2012

High coverage Denisovan genome

With 30-fold coverage from here.

Approximately 30-fold coverage of the genome was generated using the Illumina GAIIx sequencing platform. 
We provide here the additional high-coverage sequence data which augments the previously published sequence data.  
This data is freely available without passwords.  
The data represents sequence data generated on the Illumina GAIIx platform and constitutes an average 30-fold coverage of the Denisovan genome. Focussing on the "mappable genome" - the 1.86GB of unique sequence with  clear human-chimpanzee orthology  - we see 99.97% of bases covered at least 3x and 99.51% covered at least 10x. 
Contamination with modern human DNA, estimated from both mitochondrial and nuclear genomes, is less than 1%
and:
 The Denisova Genome Consortium have chosen to release the raw sequence data and alignments for the additional sequence generated for the Denisova phalanx (Reich et al. Science. 2010) in the expectation that these data will be a valuable resource for the research community. 
In keeping with the Ft. Lauderdale principles, the data are available for use, but users are expected to allow the data producers to make the first presentations and to publish the first paper containing genome-wide analyses of the data. Researchers who use small amounts of the data (eg: for single locus analyses) are not required to request permission. Researchers who have queries about whether they may present or submit Denisova genome data for publication may contact Svante Paabo.
 This is great, since it is unusual for scientists to publish data before they publish the paper describing the data. This gives scientists and non-scientists alike the opportunity to start working with the data, and to begin the development of new ideas.

Let this be a lesson to all those who have been sitting on important data (*cough* Otzi's genome) for more than a year.

3 comments:

princenuadha said...

Honor code, I like it.

Andrew Oh-Willeke said...

Hurray for the Denisova Genome Consortium! It is nice to see a group working on one of the most important ancient DNA samples on the planet embracing an open source approach to this science which is part of the patrimony of the entire human race.

anthrospain said...

Expectations are big. Science should be freely available to anyone.