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Experts in monitoring microbial communities in bioreactors by DNA metabarcoding

Back · Waste treatment and bioenergy production

An effective tool to track the evolution of microbial communities in industrial processes

The efficiency of aerobic or anaerobic digestion processes can change over time. This change is associated to shifts in the composition of microbial communities in bioreactors. DNA metabarcoding is the tool of choice to monitor changes in microbial communities over time, so that they can be associated to changes in the efficiency of the digestion process. In fact, understanding complex microbial communities and their activities is essential for the successful exploitation of bioenergy and waste treatment facilities.

At AllGenetics, we use DNA metabarcoding to obtain diversity data for various taxonomic groups (bacteria, archaea, algae) from a wide variety of bioprocesses like biogas production through anaerobic digestion or waste water treatment. By using DNA metabarcoding, it is possible to identify microbial indicators of optimal performance, as well as to establish warning indicators of potential process failure.

The image shows a typical workflow of a DNA metabarcoding analysis of bioreactor samples to characterise their microbiome. It is composed of the following steps: DNA isolation, library preparation, high-throughput sequencing, and bioinformatic analysis. The results of the workflow are the microbial taxonomic compositions of the bioreactor samples analysed.

Step 1

We isolate DNA from the bioreactor samples.

Step 2

We prepare DNA metabarcoding libraries for the target taxonomic group(s) -bacteria, fungi, or algae-. For this, we use universal or in-house-developed primer pairs.

Step 3

We sequence the DNA metabarcoding libraries using Illumina's MiSeq or NovaSeq technologies.

Step 4

We analyse the data obtained in the previous step to obtain the taxonomic composition of the samples.

What you receive

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A report with a summary of the methods followed.
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The raw high-throughput sequencing files.
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The results of the bioinformatic analysis including:
  • A list of the Operational Taxonomic Units (OTUs) retrieved per sample.
  • The number of sequence reads assigned to each OTU in each sample.
  • A graphic representation of the relative abundances of the different OTUs in each sample.
If you require additional analyses, please let us know and we will do our best to meet your needs.
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At no additional cost, our project specialists will be available to you after project delivery and during the editorial process of your scientific articles. We offer up to five 60-min sessions per project, depending on the project size.

What we need

Your samples appropriately preserved depending on the sample type (ethanol, frozen, or another suitable preservation method). If required, we provide sampling kits and sampling collection guidelines to ensure that your samples arrive at our lab in optimal conditions.

Contact us for further information and pricing

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