ABSTRACT
The study of soil microbiomes has experienced major breakthroughs, mostly as a result of the continuing advances in molecular sequencing technologies. These technological developments have enabled to reach an increased resolution in the assessment of the microbial constituents of soil, that is, the soil microbiome. This chapter focuses on key aspects of amplicon sequencing and data analysis, as it is applied to the profiling of soil microbiomes. The application of molecular methods starts with nucleic acid extraction from a given soil samples, followed by amplification and high-throughput sequencing of a specific gene or DNA region that is used as a molecular marker. The chapter provides a basis for understanding the analytical metrics that are routinely applied in soil microbiome studies, serving as a reference for researchers and students seeking information about the fundamental aspects of bioinformatics and statistical methods in soil microbiome data analysis.
