Amplicon Sequencing for Microbiome Profiling
Targeted sequencing of bacteria, fungi and other microbial groups
Amplicon sequencing is often the most practical starting point when you need to understand which microorganisms are present in a sample. The method targets a selected marker gene, such as 16S rRNA for bacteria or ITS2 for fungi, and uses that region to profile the microbial community.
At Biomcare, we provide amplicon sequencing as a standalone sequencing service or as part of a broader microbiome project with bioinformatics, statistical analysis and reporting. Some customers only need high-quality sequencing data. Others need support all the way from study design and sample handling to interpretation of the results. We can support both workflows.
When amplicon sequencing is a good fit
Amplicon sequencing is relevant when your project is focused on a defined microbial group and you need a cost-effective way to compare samples.
It is often used for:
- bacterial profiling with 16S rRNA sequencing
- fungal profiling with ITS sequencing
- 18S or other marker-based approaches
- soil, root, water, plant, gut, stool, skin, biopsy or bioreactor samples
- microbial diversity studies
- treatment comparisons
- before-and-after studies
- projects where low microbial biomass or high host/background DNA makes targeted sequencing preferable
Because amplicon sequencing targets a specific genetic region, it can be a strong choice when you want focused taxonomic profiling rather than broad whole-DNA sequencing.
What we offer
| Marker genes | 16S rRNA, ITS2, 18S rRNA and other marker regions on request |
|---|---|
| Sequencing platforms | Short-read sequencing, including Illumina, and long-read approaches such as Oxford Nanopore or PacBio where relevant |
| Typical outputs | Raw FASTQ files, quality-filtered data, taxonomic abundance tables and optional diversity analyses |
| Sample types | Soil, water, plant, root, gut/stool, skin, blood, sputum, biopsies, cultures and bioreactor samples |
| Optional add-ons | DNA extraction, qPCR or spike-in based absolute quantification, bioinformatics, statistics and reporting |
What you get
For pure sequencing projects, we can deliver the sequencing workflow and raw data files for your own downstream analysis.
For projects where you want Biomcare to handle the analysis, we can also provide:
- quality evaluation and filtering
- taxonomic annotation
- abundance tables
- alpha and beta diversity analysis
- statistical comparison between groups or conditions
- figures, tables and project reports
Not sure if amplicon sequencing is enough?
Amplicon sequencing is a strong method for targeted microbial profiling, but it is not always the right answer. If your project requires functional profiling, genes, pathways or broader cross-kingdom analysis, shotgun metagenomic sequencing may be a better fit.
Tell us about your sample type, project aim and desired output, and we will help you select the right sequencing approach.
Request a sequencing quote
Send us a short description of your project, including sample type, number of samples, target organism group and whether you need raw data only or downstream analysis.
