A protocol for applying a population-specific reference genome assembly to population genetics and medical studies.

With a growing number of available sequenced genomes, protocols for their applications to population genetics will benefit our understanding of the human genome. Here we detail analytic steps to apply an example reference genome to map and detect variants of short-read sequences from corresponding populations and to discover variants of disease-relevant genes. Using this protocol, we can improve variant discovery, better investigate population-specific genome properties, and evaluate the potential of sequenced genomes in medical studies. For complete details on the use and execution of this protocol, please refer to Lou et al. (2022).