16S rRNA Sequencing
Plain-English definitions of microbiome research vocabulary — the terms you'll see across articles, testing services, and probiotic claims.
A molecular technique that identifies bacteria by sequencing a specific gene (16S ribosomal RNA) present in all bacteria. Used in most commercial microbiome tests. Can identify bacteria to genus level but often lacks strain-level resolution.
Related terms
Shotgun Metagenomics
A sequencing approach that reads all DNA in a sample, not just bacterial marker genes. Provides higher resolution than 16S rRNA sequencing, including strain-level identification, functional gene analysis, and detection of viruses and fungi.
Metagenome
The collective genetic material of all microorganisms in a given environment. The human gut metagenome contains roughly 150 times more genes than the human genome.