I've tried a few kit/ swab combinations in the lab, including those suggested by the Human Microbiome Project but have got very disappointing yields. Im looking for tried and tested combinations which have yielded good levels of bacterial DNA for microbiome sequencing (obviously aware a vast proportion of DNA extracted is likely to be human so also if there is a way to enrich the bacterial DNA component without biasing the community composition) and any hints/ tips that could explain why the yield is low, for example the swabbing technique.
Thanks very much
Alison
Thanks Mike, did you find you got many reagent/ kit contaminating reads using this method and also was this using flocked swabs? I presume centrifugation of swabs and buffer would work too if vacuum filtration isnt feasible?
Alison
Hi Ali - greetings from Moredun! Can't answer your question, sorry, but good to see that active, probing mind still working...off to do an Institute lunchtime seminar now!
rgds, Philip
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