Parallel Processing in Genome Mapping and Sequencing

analysis of arrays of samples or analysis of complex Conventional genome mapping and sequencing involves the mixtures of samples. Obviously, these approaches creanalysis and processing of individual samples and pieces of ate an increase in experimental efficiency by increasing experimental data. Although these methods work, it is quite the speed at which data accumulate. Some of the apclear that more efficient and less expensive methods are proaches use comparative information (map or seneeded. Our top down physical mapping experiments have fo-quence data on mixtures of samples or differences cused on the parallel processing of information from multiple among these samples) to construct the primary inforsamples at one time. This approach has aided the construction mation itself (map or sequence data on individual samof genomic restriction maps and allowed us to assess the degree ples or species). iments. Also described are several comparative methods that use parallel processes to evaluate and identify DNA and RNA differences between pairs of samples. In the past, genomic mapping and DNA sequencing methods focused on analyzing single samples one at a DESCRIPTION OF THE METHOD time. The complexity (e.g., single-copy DNA size) of the sample that could be analyzed was limited by the It is quite obvious that parallel processing of genomic analytical method. In such experiments, information samples potentially greatly increases the efficiency of collected in series on different samples was compared experiments. What is not obvious is what the best way after the primary data were obtained. Now, a number is to apply these principles to particular experiments, of techniques that allow the parallel processing of muleven though, amazingly, there is a limited repertoire tiple samples of the same complexity have been develof techniques that are used to analyze and manipulate oped. Examples of parallel processing are simultaneous nucleic acids. The available techniques include direct DNA sequencing (e.g., single-base determinations), hy-1 To whom correspondence should be addressed. Telephone