Short-read full-length 16S rRNA amplicon sequencing for characterisation of the respiratory bacteriome of captive and free-ranging African elephants (Loxodonta africana).

This study aimed to evaluate the feasibility of a modified 150 bp paired-end full-length 16S rRNA amplicon short read sequencing technique on the Illumina iSeq 100 and 16S rRNA amplicon assembly workflow by utilising a standard mock microbial community and subsequently performing exploratory characterisation of captive (zoo) and free-ranging African elephant (Loxodonta africana) respiratory microbiota.