Sample to Insight workflow

Build your complete microbiome research workflow

Microbiome research calls for the analysis of diverse samples. Getting results you can trust and meaningful insights can be challenging. Make the most of your precious samples by employing unique solutions from QIAGEN for your complete workflow, from nucleic acid isolation to data analysis and interpretation. To help you navigate your way through the wide range of solutions and applications, we have designed a step-by-step guide for your entire workflow.

Microbiome samples are challenging because they are difficult to lyse. Microbes may contain a tough extracellular matrix. Incomplete lysis of a microbial community results in an inaccurate representation of the microbial content of the sample.

Mechanical homogenization is recommended to avoid introducing bias during the cell lysis process. QIAGEN’s sample disruption solutions ensure fast, powerful and efficient homogenization, which is a prerequisite for reproducible results.

Microbial samples in 96-well plates

How do you lyse difficult samples in a 96-well plate? How should you remove excess beads and seal the plates to avoid leakage and cross contamination? Watch the video to find out.

PowerBead Pro plates are part of QIAGEN’s new Pro kit technology. With an improved bead-beating process for the TissueLyser II, they provide a high-throughput and efficient way to lyse bacteria and fungi. For isolation of microbial genomic DNA from all soil and stool types, they’re included in the DNeasy 96 PowerSoil Pro Kit.

For human biomedical research

Different sources of materials present diverse challenges for isolating DNA and RNA. QIAGEN kits for human biomedical research are optimized for specific sample types, such as gut, stool, swabs and more. The patented Inhibitor Removal Technology® (IRT) removes inhibitors during the purification process. This results in high yields of pure nucleic acids ready to use even in demanding downstream applications.

For environmental and agricultural research

Different sources of materials present different challenges for isolating DNA and RNA. QIAGEN kits for environmental and agricultural research have been optimized or specific sample types, such as soil, water, biofilm, plants and more. Patented Inhibitor Removal Technology (IRT) removes inhibitors during the purification process. This results in high yields of high-quality, pure nucleic acids ready to use even in the most demanding downstream applications.

Next-generation sequencing (NGS) methods have revolutionized the study of the microbiome. NGS enables the simultaneous analysis of thousands of species within a microbial community.

Reagent and primer selection plays a large part in the generation of a proper NGS library, one that minimizes bias and maximizes read depth. QIAGEN offers diverse kits to align with various amplification and sequencing needs to achieve even coverage and high-read quality.

An excellent software suite goes a long way in turning metagenomics data interpretation from a chore to a joy. Tools and features to cover all of your needs, from taxonomy to polymorphism analysis, enable gaining valuable insights from complex data. QIAGEN’s bioinformatics solutions for microbiome are easy-to-use. With an intuitive interface, they help researchers focus on what really matters.