Summary
This narrative review examines DNA metabarcoding as a high-throughput sequencing approach for characterizing soil microbial communities. The authors synthesize state-of-the-art knowledge on processing steps within metabarcoding workflows, identifying numerous potential sources of bias at each stage that can substantially compromise the reliability and standardization of microbiota data. The review provides decision-making guidance intended to enable accurate and reproducible environmental microbiota characterization.
Regional applicability
As a methodological review addressing technical aspects of a widely-adopted laboratory approach, the findings are broadly applicable to United Kingdom soil microbiota research, policy monitoring programmes, and agro-environmental studies. The standardization recommendations are relevant to UK soil health assessment initiatives and research practice, though the review does not address UK-specific soil conditions or regulatory contexts.
Key measures
Methodological protocols and bias sources in DNA metabarcoding workflows; taxonomic characterization of microbiota; microbial diversity and composition metrics
Outcomes reported
The review synthesizes methodological guidance for DNA metabarcoding workflows applied to terrestrial microbiota, identifying critical processing steps that introduce bias and compromise reliability of microbiota characterization.
Topic tags
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