title: Treponema validation set A_ 35c_50copies
design: A mixture of T. pallidum DNA (50 16S rDNA copies) and a mock community, which contained no Spirochaetes was first selectively amplified using spirochete specific primers (35c) and subsequently the V4 region of the 16S rRNA gene was amplified for 20c prior to sequencing on the MiSeq Platform.