Hey y’all! Back again for another week and we are one week closer to getting our sequences back! When we sent the samples off to be sequenced, we were wanting to see the sequence of nucleotides and see if they vary between our samples. To sequence our samples, we will be using two types of metagenomic sequencing analysis, 16S rRNA and ITS. The difference between these is that one in bacterial based and the other, ITS, is fungal based. Both types are specific and provide accurate information on the DNA in the ribosomes. However, the process for both are very tedious.  For the 16S rRNA practice, you must remember the inclusion at the V region. Another con of the analysis is that it only analyzes a small part of the genome. This is compared to the “shot gun” method that analyzes it all. The trade off, however, is that there is less information given. Part of a research experiment is considering the bigger picture. I came up with three big picture questions about our sourdough starters.

1.) Analyze the general differences between those who added fruits to their starters and those who added vegetables. How do they compare to the controls?

2.) Did the thickness of the starter have any affect of the microbial community?

3.) Do the different types of fruits, such as dropes and pomes, affect the microbial community differently?