High-throughput insect barcoding in microbiome studies

The study aims to explore the possibility of using high-throughput barcoding methods to characterize insect-associated microbial diversity, addressing the gap in our understanding of insect microbiota at a time of rapid biodiversity decline. Specifically, we tested the impact of the non-destructive DNA extraction method, HotSHOT, on microbial abundance estimates and reconstructed bacterial community profiles in a diverse set of insect species. The results suggest that combining barcoding with microbiome studies can efficiently accelerate the accumulation of knowledge about the insects' microbial community, providing valuable insights into their symbiotic relationships and broader ecological roles.

本研究旨在探索利用高通量条形码（high-throughput barcoding）方法表征昆虫关联微生物多样性的可行性，以期在全球生物多样性快速衰退的时代背景下，填补当前学界对昆虫微生物组（microbiota）认知的空白。具体而言，本研究针对涵盖多个类群的昆虫物种，测试了无损DNA提取方法HotSHOT对微生物丰度估算的影响，并重构了其细菌群落谱。研究结果表明，将条形码技术与微生物组研究相结合，可有效加速昆虫微生物群落相关知识的积累，为解析其共生关系及更广泛的生态功能提供宝贵的学术洞见。