NGS sequencing file formats

Sequencing data comes in a wide variety of formats and they contain very specific information. This is a collection of notes on different formats, and how to interact with some of them using command line tools like samtools, or R. Next Generation Sequencing (NGS) technology in brief: NGS and Sanger sequencing is similar in principle. DNA polymerase adds fluorescent nucleotides to a growing DNA template strand. DNA bases are identified when each base C, T, G, A, emits a fluorescent signal as they are added to a nucleic acid chain.