Related Experiment Video
Updated: May 25, 2026

Tick Microbiome Characterization by Next-Generation 16S rRNA Amplicon Sequencing
Published on: August 25, 2018
Sequencing our way towards understanding global eukaryotic biodiversity
Holly M Bik1, Dorota L Porazinska, Simon Creer
1Hubbard Center for Genome Studies, University of New Hampshire, 35 Colovos Rd, Durham, NH 03824, USA. holly.bik@gmail.com
Microscopic eukaryotes are crucial for ecosystems, but their global biodiversity is poorly understood. New DNA sequencing methods offer insights, yet challenges remain in data generation and analysis for these crucial organisms.
Area of Science:
- Eukaryotic microbiology
- Environmental DNA (eDNA) analysis
- Biodiversity informatics
Background:
- Microscopic eukaryotes play vital ecological roles globally.
- A significant knowledge gap exists regarding their worldwide biodiversity.
- Environmental DNA (eDNA) sequencing offers a powerful tool for assessing microbial eukaryote diversity.
Purpose of the Study:
- To address the challenge of understanding global microscopic eukaryote biodiversity.
- To explore the utility of DNA sequencing for en masse biodiversity assessments.
- To identify key challenges in eukaryotic marker gene surveys.
Main Methods:
- Utilizing advanced DNA sequencing technologies.
- Applying bioinformatics pipelines for data analysis.
- Focusing on marker gene surveys for eukaryotic identification.
Main Results:
- DNA sequencing enables accurate en masse biodiversity assessments.
- Significant challenges exist in data generation and analysis.
- Evolving technologies and pipelines require adaptive strategies.
Conclusions:
- Advances in DNA sequencing enhance our ability to study microscopic eukaryotes.
- Standardization and adaptation are crucial for future eukaryotic marker gene surveys.
- Addressing current challenges will improve our understanding of global eukaryotic biodiversity.
Related Concept Videos
Evolutionary Relationships through Genome Comparisons
Modern Molecular Taxonomy
Eukaryotic Evolution
Contrary to the endosymbiont theory, the eukaryote-first hypothesis proposes that the simpler prokaryotic and...
The Tree of Life - Bacteria, Archaea, Eukaryotes
Microbial Phylogeny
Applications of Molecular Taxonomy

