NGS has become a major tool for the profiling of microbial communities. Culturing can alter sample composition and even leave microorganisms undetected because of their failure to grow in the laboratory. Microbial Profiling quantifies all bacteria and archaea in your sample, helping you to understand their role in health and disease.

Microbiota composition affects human health
Gut, skin, and even environments that were believed to be sterile such as urine, contain microbes. These can be used to distinguish between humans, like a fingerprint. Our intimate relationship with microbiota can lead to a whole variety of diseases and conditions.
From IBD, obesity, auto-immune-diseases, to even mental disorders such as anxiety or depression. Microbes even may confer susceptibility to cancers and can influence the response to therapeutics. Advancements in high-throughput NGS screening methods have fueled the research in this area.
Microbiome Services
We provide detailed analysis of the microbial content in:

Human Samples
Bacteria and archaea in bodily fluids such as blood, feces, urine and saliva. Isolation from swabs from mucosal sites, skin, etc…

Animal Samples
Bacterial composition of the gut measured in animal droppings

Plant Samples
Epiphytes and endophytes (bacteria found respectively living on and inside plant tissue)

Soil & Water Samples
Microbial community composition, ecosystem screening, water quality testing

Bacterial Production Facilities
Bioreactors, wastewater treatment plants
rDNA amplicon | Shotgun metagenomics | |||
Application | Applicable species | 16S V4 | Short reads | Long reads |
Genus level diversity | bacteria, archaea | ✓ | ✓ | ✓ |
Species level diversity | bacteria, archaea | ✓ | ✓ | |
Sub-species level diversity | bacteria, archaea | x | ✓ | |
Non-bacterial diversity | fungi, viruses, virophages | x | ✓ | ✓ |
de-novo assembly | unknown species identification | x | ✓ | |
Metabolic pathway prediction | all annotated pathways in known species | x | ✓ |
recommended | possible | not applicable
Let's get the conversation started for your next NGS project
Please either fill in below or email us directly at microbiome@genomescan.nl
and we will get in touch with you to discuss your requirements