![Benzonase pre-digest successfully reduces DNA from dead bacteria and the host](https://oercommons.org/static/newdesign/images/materials/default-thumbnail-index.png)
This resource is a video abstract of a research paper created by Research Square on behalf of its authors. It provides a synopsis that's easy to understand, and can be used to introduce the topics it covers to students, researchers, and the general public. The video's transcript is also provided in full, with a portion provided below for preview:
"Next-generation sequencing (NGS) studies have led to dramatic improvements in our understanding of human microbiomes. However, this method is based on the presence of DNA and cannot distinguish between living and dead microbes on its own. Environments like our skin are hostile and have high microbe turnover, which leads to significant amounts of DNA from dead microbes, which can lead to inaccurate community estimations in NGS studies. To overcome this, researchers tested the feasibility of pre-treatment with Benzonase to digest unprotected DNA. They used both mock bacterial communities and skin microbiome samples with inactivated bacteria or bacteria-free DNA spiked-in. Benzonase (BDA) pre-treatment reduced the levels of DNA from dead bacteria in both mock and natural communities. It also reduced the amount of host DNA in samples with high human-to-microbial DNA ratios without obvious impact on the microbial profile..."
The rest of the transcript, along with a link to the research itself, is available on the resource itself.
- Subject:
- Biology
- Life Science
- Material Type:
- Diagram/Illustration
- Reading
- Provider:
- Research Square
- Provider Set:
- Video Bytes
- Date Added:
- 10/14/2021