fecal 16S rRNA gene community
Samples collected and pooled in polypropylene tubes and placed in ice, after which the samples were transported to the lab, pooled further and subsampled into smaller polypropylene tubes and preserved  with RNAlater, stored overnight in 4 celsius and then placed in the freezer at -20 celcius. Samples were then processed through the QIAamp PowerFecal Pro DNA Kit and the raw DNA extracts were evaluated for DNA Yield, Purity and Integrity. Subsequently all raw extracts were subjected through 16S rRNA gene amplification with PCR and sequenced by  Auckland Genomics Ltd.