NOVOWrap: an automated solution for plastid genome assembly and structure standardization

Plastid genomes play an important role in genomics and evolutionary biology. Next-generation sequencing has revolutionized plastid genomic data acquisition to the point that genome assembly has become a bottlenecks for widespread utilization of plastid genome data. To solve this problem, we developed an open-source, cross-platform tool known as, NOVOWrap, which includes both command-line and graphical interfaces for automatically assembling plastid genomes on personal computers. With minimal inputs, settings, and user intervention, NOVOWrap can automatically assemble plastid genomes, validate results and standardize the structure using affordable computer resources. The performance of this software has been successfully benchmarked against the plastid genomes of 11 species belonging to lycopods, gymnosperms, and angiosperms. This program is expected to liberate researchers from laborious and cumbersome computer manipulations and create reliable and standardized genomic data.质体基因组（plastid genome）在基因组学与进化生物学领域占据重要地位。下一代测序技术极大地革新了质体基因组数据的获取方式，如今基因组组装已成为制约质体基因组数据广泛应用的瓶颈。为解决这一难题，我们开发了一款开源、跨平台工具NOVOWrap，其兼具命令行界面与图形用户界面，可在个人计算机上自动完成质体基因组组装。仅需极少的输入参数、配置项与用户干预，NOVOWrap即可借助成本可控的计算机资源，自动完成质体基因组组装、结果验证及结构标准化流程。本软件已以石松类、裸子植物及被子植物共11个物种的质体基因组为参照完成性能基准测试，表现优异。该工具有望将研究人员从繁重冗杂的计算机操作中解放出来，助力产出可靠且标准化的基因组数据。