Creation and analysis of a Virome: Using CRISPR spacers

Abstract

Advances in sequencing technology have allowed for the study of complex and previously unexplored microbial and viral populations; however, linking host–phage partners using in silico techniques has been challenging. Here, we describe the flow-through for creation of a virome, and its subsequent analysis with the viral assembly and analysis module “Viritas,” which we have recently developed. This module allows for binning of contigs based on tetranucleotide frequencies, putative phage-host partner identification by CRISPR spacer matching, and identification of ORFs.