Link to bioRxiv paper: http://biorxiv.org/cgi/content/short/2020.08.04.228080v1?rss=1 Authors: Nakao, R., Inui, R., Akamatsu, Y., Goto, M., Matsuoka, S., Doi, H. Abstract: Environmental DNA (eDNA) analysis is a method of detecting DNA from environmental samples, and it is used as a biomonitoring tool. In recent studies, Illumina MiSeq (MiSeq) has been the most extensively used tool for eDNA metabarcoding, one of the eDNA analysis approaches. The Illumina iSeq 100 (hereafter, iSeq) is one of the numerous high-throughput sequencers (HTS). It has a relatively simple workflow and is potentially more affordable than other sequencers for deployment in HTS environments. However, to date, only a few studies have adopted iSeq, and its utility in eDNA metabarcoding has still not been investigated comprehensively. In the present study, we applied fish eDNA metabarcoding to river and lake environmental samples using iSeq and MiSeq approaches. We also assessed differences in fish species detectability among iSeq, MiSeq, and conventional approaches. Twenty-seven river and 13 lake samples were amplified using MiFish primers and sequenced with iSeq and MiSeq, respectively. The iSeq and MiSeq metabarcoding achieved high detectability for fish taxa in the ecosystems. Species numbers and compositions in each river detected using iSeq were almost consistent with those of MiSeq, indicating detectability of both techniques was comparable. The comparison of the species compositions of the two HTSs with those of conventional methods showed that the common species between each HTS and the conventional methods were exactly similar. According to the results, if the same amplicon library were used for sequencing, there would be negligible detectability differences between iSeq and MiSeq based on eDNA metabarcoding. Copy rights belong to original authors. Visit the link for more info