Implementing Nanopore Adaptive SequencInG for HosT-Associated Microbiomes (INSIGHT)

Microbes play key roles in all ecosystems on Earth and in association with host animals and plants, where they can form specific symbioses. Understanding the crucial roles of host-associated microbes, e.g. for the defence or nutrition of their host, requires the reconstruction of microbial genomes directly from the host, as most microbes cannot be grown in the laboratory. Such genome sequencing, especially for rare but essential symbionts, is often complicated by the presence of large amounts of DNA from the host and from other microbes. Here we propose to adapt and implement Nanopore Adaptive Sequencing (NAS) for selective, fast, and cost-effective recovery of rare, host-associated microbial genomes, with wood ants as test case. If successful, this method will accelerate the investigation and understanding of host-associated microbes, as well as their application in agriculture and biotechnology.