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What are SAM and BAM files?

Written by Zymo Research
Molecular biology PCR and sequencing Whole-genome studies

Large numbers of aligned reads are stored in SAM or BAM files during the bioinformatic analysis of next-generation sequencing (NGS) data. Understanding how to decode and inspect these alignment files is key to understanding the processing of NGS data and evaluating the quality of your data. Read this White Paper to understand the difference between these two formats and the wealth of information they encode on the genomic alignment of your sequencing data.

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