Public Databases of 16s rRNA: A Current Perspective and Future Implications

Abstract

Next generation sequencing has resulted in generation of metagenomic databases of environmental samples containing partial or full length 16s rRNA gene sequences available in the public domain. 16s rRNA sequence has known antibiotic binding sites and therefore databases containing 16s rRNA gene sequence has the potential to be used as an excellent tool for understanding antibiotic resistance patterns in the environmental samples. However, currently some problems are existing in the various data repositories which are highlighted here for the purpose of addressing this issue and integrating the available databases in future so that the shortcomings can be minimized.