Figure 2

Overlap–layout–consensus genome assembly algorithm: Reads are provided to the algorithm. Overlapping regions are identified. Each read is graphed as a node and the overlaps are represented as edges joining the two nodes involved. The algorithm determines the best path through the graph (Hamiltonian path). Redundant information (i.e., unused nodes and edges) is discarded. This process is carried out multiple times and resulting sequences are combined to give the final consensus sequence that represents the genome.