Microbial virus genome annotation—Mustering the troops to fight the sequence onslaught

The revolution in virus genome sequencing promises to effectively map the extant biological universe and reveal fundamental relationships between viral biology, genome structure, and evolution. Indeed, microbial virus genomes include large numbers of conserved coding sequences of unknown function as well as unique gene combinations, implying that that these viruses will be a significant source of novel protein biochemistry and genome architecture. Yet, making sense of the approaching phalanx of A's, G's, T's, and C's stretching across the genome sequencing horizon will require innovation and an unprecedented coordination of annotation efforts among stakeholders.

► The article includes highlights from the NCBI Genome Annotation Workshop and offers an overview of current microbial virus genome annotation efforts at NCBI, SwissProt, and within the greater scientific community.
► Each of these efforts has short comings, and it is difficult to imagine that the current, disparate approach can mitigate the growing need for better microbial virus genome annotation.
► This reality leads us to argue for a collaborative effort between stakeholders, and we present a blueprint for a hybrid annotation model within the manuscript.