Integrity of the Human Faecal Microbiota following Long-Term Sample Storage.

ABSTRACT: In studies of the human microbiome, faecal samples are frequently used as a non-invasive proxy for the study of the intestinal microbiota. To obtain reliable insights, the need for bacterial DNA of high quality and integrity following appropriate faecal sample collection and preservation steps is paramount. In a study of dietary mineral balance in the context of type 2 diabetes (T2D), faecal samples were collected from healthy and T2D individuals throughout a 13-day residential trial. These samples were freeze-dried, then stored mostly at -20°C from the trial date in 2000/2001 until the current research in 2014. Given the relative antiquity of these samples (~14 years), we sought to evaluate DNA quality and comparability to freshly collected human faecal samples. Following the extraction o

SUBMITTER: Kia E 

PROVIDER: S-EPMC5049846 | biostudies-literature | 2016

REPOSITORIES: biostudies-literature