Microbiome solutions

Accurate biodiversity assessment is essential for environmental monitoring, yet resolving complex microbial communities remains challenging with conventional short-read sequencing approaches.

In the study “Unveiling Protist Composition and Diversity Patterns With eDNA Metabarcoding: Comparing Short- and Long-Read Approaches” (Skouroliakou, D.-I., Dupont, D.W.E., Vandenboer, Y. et al., Ecology and Evolution, 2026), advanced sequencing strategies were applied to analyze protist communities in the Belgian part of the North Sea. Through its expertise in long-read sequencing and data analysis, OHMX.bio contributed to enabling a more comprehensive view on biodiversity patterns.

By comparing short-read and long-read metabarcoding approaches targeting the 18S rRNA gene, the study demonstrated that while both methods align at higher taxonomic levels, long-read sequencing provides significantly improved resolution at species and sub-species level. This allows for more precise identification of ecologically relevant taxa.

Importantly, the long-read approach revealed taxa that were underrepresented or missed using short-read methods, resulting in a more accurate and complete representation of community composition.

This case study highlights how OHMX.bio supports environmental and ecological research by applying advanced sequencing technologies that unlock deeper biological insights and improve the reliability of biodiversity assessments.