- Home
- Companies
- Sentinel Environmental
- Services
- Environmental Forensics Services
Environmental Forensics Services
Microbial Community Analysis: 16S ribosomal RNA (rRNA) gene sequencing is the most widely used technique for characterizing bacterial communities, and provides reliable phylogenetic classification at the genus level. We provide full spectrum service, from DNA extractions through expert data interpretation. Our standard service includes DNA extraction, sequencing, and basic bioinformatic analysis. Samples are accepted from most sources, including soil, water, sludge, tissue, blood, and stool. For those working within a limited time frame, we offer sequencing services with a turnaround time of approximately one week on a limited number of platforms.
We provide genome sequencing, assembly, and annotation services for bacterial and viral genomes. Available sequencing platforms include Illumina, PacBio, or Oxford Nanopore. While short-read technologies (e.g., Illumina) are the most frequently used for genome sequencing, some samples containing repetitive sequences may be difficult to assemble. In these cases, long-read technologies may be preferred. Additionally, hybrid assemblies can be conducted using both short- and long-read sequence data.
METAGENOMIC SEQUENCINGMetagenomic sequencing enables the phylogenetic classification of the entire microbial community within a sample, often at the species or strain level. Additionally, it provides information on the functional and metabolic diversity of a microbiome through identification of gene content, and the data can be used to assembly whole microbial and viral genomes. This greatly enhances the probability of generating actionable findings from your samples.
QPCR
Real-time or quantitative PCR (qPCR) can be used to determine the absolute copy number of a given gene within a sample. This is in contrast to sequencing technologies which generally only provide compositional data (i.e., percent abundance). qPCR is often used to validate and quantify sequencing data, and can be used for any known gene. Relative gene expression levels can be determined using reverse-transcriptase quantitative PCR (RT-qPCR).
METATRANSCRIPTOMICSGain insight into gene expression patterns of the entire microbial community activity at specific times. While metagenomic analysis assesses the phylogenetic and metabolic diversity of a microbiome, metatranscriptomics allows one to determine which microorganisms are active within the community, what genes are being expressed, and at what level.