The advent of next-generation sequencing (NGS) enabled scientists to fully appreciate the microbial world. By analyzing the genomes and transcriptomes of microbial communities with this technology, researchers learn about their functions and effects on their living hosts. They also explore the environment and identify disease-causing or beneficial organisms.
There are various NGS applications in microbiome research. To detect species within a microbial community, researchers use NGS for marker gene studies that sequence 16S rRNA, 18S rRNA, or internal transcribed spacer (ITS) regions, depending on the organisms of interest. Metagenomic analyses allow scientists to functionally profile microbial communities by identifying all of the genes present in a sample. Similarly, metatranscriptomic analyses evaluate a community’s functions in real time by assessing gene expression.
NGS requires the careful execution of multiple steps to purify nucleic acids and create sequencing libraries, including efficient cell lysis and nucleic acid precipitation, sample and reagent transfer during ...
