16S rRNA Sequencing of the gastrointestinal microbiota of Oerochromis niloticus
This study aimed to quantify the effects of inorganic fertiliser on the gastrointestinal microbiota of Oreochromis niloticus. To determine the effects of inorganic fertiliser on the GIFT two fertilisation treatments were tested in triplicate ponds: Inorganic (n=3) and organic (control)(n=3). Individual fish (n=10) were collected at random throughout stocking (T0) and subsequently from each pond (n=6) at 45-day intervals (time 1 [T1] and time 2 [T2]) using seine nets. The gastrointestinal tract was then aseptically sampled. DNA was extracted using the DNeasy Blood &Tissue Kit (QIAGEN, USA) barcoded  primers 341F (CCT ACG GGN GGC WGC AG) and 785R (GAC TAC HVG GGT ATC TAA TCC) used to amplify the V3-V4 region of the 16S rRNA gene.