Seth Commichaux

Detecting Random Mutations in 16S rRNA Sequences

The paper develops classifiers to detect modified 16S rRNA sequences that pass SILVA database quality controls by using conserved motifs and achieves over 90% sensitivity and specificity.

DNA data (genome skims and metabarcodes) paired with chemical data demonstrate utility for retrospective analysis of forage linked to fatal poisoning of cattle

The paper uses DNA data and chemical analysis to identify toxic plants in contaminated forage linked to cattle poisoning.

Database size positively correlates with the loss of species-level taxonomic resolution for the 16S rRNA and other prokaryotic marker genes

The paper shows that larger reference databases reduce species-level taxonomic resolution for prokaryotic marker genes, suggesting the need for more precise definitions and combined markers for accurate classification.