sylph ☆
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Description:
Ultrafast taxonomic profiling and genome querying for metagenomic samples
Type: Formula  |  Tracked Since: Dec 28, 2025
Links: Homepage  |  formulae.brew.sh
Category: Other
Tags: bioinformatics metagenomics taxonomy genomics cli
Install: brew install sylph
About:
Sylph is an ultrafast metagenomic profiling and genome querying tool that uses probabilistic scheduling and precomputed genome sketches. It accurately estimates taxonomic abundances and genome distances directly from raw sequencing reads. This enables rapid analysis of large datasets without the need for expensive assembly or alignment steps.
Key Features:
  • Ultrafast profiling using precomputed genome sketches
  • Low memory footprint suitable for standard laptops
  • Accurate abundance estimation and ANI queries
  • Works directly with raw sequencing reads (FASTQ)
Use Cases:
  • Rapid taxonomic profiling of microbiome samples
  • Identifying presence of specific pathogens or genomes
  • Estimating genome abundance in metagenomic datasets
Alternatives:
  • Kraken2 – Sylph is generally faster and uses less memory but Kraken2 has a larger user base and extensive pre-built databases.
  • Centrifuge – Sylph offers improved speed and direct read-to-genome distance estimation.
Version History
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