MetaCompass: Reference-guided Assembly of Metagenomes.

Metagenomic studies have primarily relied on assembly for reconstructing genes and genomes from microbial mixtures. While reference-guided approaches have been employed in the assembly of single organisms, they have not been used in a metagenomic context. Here we describe the first effective approach for reference-guided metagenomic assembly that can complement and improve upon metagenomic assembly methods for certain organisms. Such approaches will be increasingly useful as more genomes are sequenced and made publicly available.