GenBank is a reliable resource for 21st century biodiversity research.

ABSTRACT: Traditional methods of characterizing biodiversity are increasingly being supplemented and replaced by approaches based on DNA sequencing alone. These approaches commonly involve extraction and high-throughput sequencing of bulk samples from biologically complex communities or samples of environmental DNA (eDNA). In such cases, vouchers for individual organisms are rarely obtained, often unidentifiable, or unavailable. Thus, identifying these sequences typically relies on comparisons with sequences from genetic databases, particularly GenBank. While concerns have been raised about biases and inaccuracies in laboratory and analytical methods, comparatively little attention has been paid to the taxonomic reliability of GenBank itself. Here we analyze the metazoan mitochondrial sequences of G

SUBMITTER: Leray M 

PROVIDER: S-EPMC6842603 | biostudies-literature | 2019 Nov

REPOSITORIES: biostudies-literature