16S/ITS Amplicon Sequencing Service

Identification of Bacteria, Archaea, & Fungi From Any Microbiome Sample

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Quick Turnaround Time

Receive 16S/ITS amplicon extraction and sequencing results in as little as 1 week

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Unparalleled Data Resolution

Species-level identification with 16S rRNA sequencing service

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Absolute Abundance Quantification

Reveal differences that would be missed with relative abundance alone

Comprehensive Bioinformatics Analysis

Simplify 16S/ITS Amplicon Sequencing Data Interpretation

Multiple reports from Zymo Research

All projects include a comprehensive report with bioinformatics analysis and raw sequencing data. The 16S rRNA sequencing service report provides compositional bar plots, taxonomy heatmaps, alpha-diversity and beta diversity analyses. Group comparisons and LEfSe biomarker discovery are also reflected in all 16S/ITS amplicon sequencing service reports. Our team of expert bioinformaticians are here to help you get the most out of your data.

Achieve Species-Level Identification With 16S Amplicon Sequencing

Species Zymo Research 16S Pipeline Other Service Providers
Listeria monocytogenes
Staphylococcus aureus
Enterococcus faecalis
Lactobacillus fermentum
Escherichia coli
Salmonella enterica
Pseudomonas aeruginosa
Bacillus subtilis
Species-level Resolution

By combining leading edge sequencing error correction methods with a highly curated 16S rRNA database, our 16S amplicon sequencing service can provide taxonomic identification down to the species level.

Gain Unique Insights Into Your Data

Zymo Research's Absolute Abundance Quantification Reveals More

Relative abundance alone cannot define changes in a microbial community. In cases like comparing treatment or therapeutic effects, it can be just as important to know how cell numbers are changing. With absolute abundance quantification provided by our 16S amplicon sequencing service, open new insights into the microbial community dynamics of your project.

Rigorously Optimized For The Highest Data Accuracy

Bar graph showing comparing accuracy of Zymo Research Microbiome Services compared to other pipelines

Our 16S amplicon sequencing service is continually monitored with mock community controls to ensure data accuracy and consistency. Don’t let run-to-run variations interfere with your long-term study or project.

16S/ITS Amplicon Sequencing Made Simple

How Our Straightforward, User-Friendly Service Works

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Analysis Report

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16S/ITS Amplicon Sequencing Technical Specifications

Sequencing Platform Illuminia MiSeq , NextSeq2000
Read Length 2 x 300 bp, Unique Dual Indexing (UDI)
Target Regions

V1-V2, V1-V3, V3-V4, V3, V4, V4-V5, V5-V6, V6-V8, ITS2, 18S

Others available upon request

Accepted Sample Types Extracted Genomic DNA, or raw samples
DNA Extraction

ZymoBIOMICS 96 Magbead DNA (D4308)

ZymoBIOMICS DNA Miniprep (D4300)

Library Prep

Quick-16S NGS Library Prep (D6400)

Quick-16S Plus NGS Library Prep (D6421)

Plastid rRNA Blockers

PNA PCR Blockers

Blocks amplification of the V4 region of chloroplast and mitochondrial rRNA genes

Absolute Quantification Quantification of absolute 16S or ITS gene copy number using qPCR with library preparation primers
Quality Control A positive control for DNA extraction (ZymoBIOMICS Microbial Community Standard, D6300) and a positive control for library preparation (ZymoBIOMICS Microbial Community DNA Standard, D6305) are included in each project as a quality control. Results are reported in the final project report. Negative extraction controls and negative qPCR controls are also monitored with real time PCR and can be analyzed upon request.
Sequencing Analysis Amplicon Sequence Variant (ASV) based analysis with DADA2 and Qiime 1.9 to provide higher accuracy and better resolution of data.
Reference Database As publicly available databases (e.g. Greengenes, UNITE) contain a multitude of errors, inconsistent annotations, and poor sequence quality, we utilized an in-house curated reference database.
Data Visualization Absolute abundance boxplot, taxa abundance barplot, taxa abundance heatmap, ASV abundance heatmap, alpha diversity boxplot and rarefaction curves, beta diversity 3D Emperor plot, Taxa2ASV decomposer
Statistical Analysis LEfSe analysis uncovers taxa/traits that are differentially distributed among defined sample groups.
Data Storage Raw sequencing data and analysis report are stored for up to 3 months

Frequently Asked Questions

Yes. The sample requirements and submission guidelines are the same as for our 16S Sequencing Service.

We have processed a wide variety of sample types, from human tissue samples, environmental samples, to food samples. If you have questions or concerns, please feel free to fill out an inquiry or contact us.

We recommend sending 200-500 mg for solid samples or 500-1mL of liquid samples in general. This may vary depending on the specific sample type.

The minimum volume of DNA required is 30 µl with a recommended concentration of 10-50 ng/µl. If the concentration is lower, we can often still successfully sequence as our pipeline is quite robust.

There is no sample minimum required in order to submit to our 16S Sequencing Service.

Because of our included quality control standard, it is possible to batch samples over time and have confidence that the samples were processed in the same way. We recently completed a project that had a total of >2,000 samples processed over a period of 6 months. By comparing the results from the standard for each group of samples, we had confidence that the results from different batches could be compared together.

Tell Us About Your 16S/ITS Amplicon Sequencing Project

Please describe your 16S amplicon or ITS amplicon sequencing project and one of our scientists will reach out to assist you.