Genome contamination may lead to an overestimation of horizontal gene transfer inferences

Key Points

• Genome contamination may lead to overestimation of horizontal gene transfer inferences, skewing results.
• Key evidence showed that contaminated genomes can mislead findings in genetic research and analysis.
• Observational analysis revealed flaws in understanding horizontal gene transfer due to contamination issues.
• This calls for enhanced methods to minimize contamination, vital for accurate genomic and microbial studies.