Study of alpha and beta diversity

The study of alpha and beta diversity allows the analysis of the structure and variability of a microbiota in a sample or between several samples.
Performed by high-throughput DNA sequencing (NGS – Next Generation Sequencing) , this approach provides a global and detailed vision of the microbial composition , useful in the fields of health, environment, fermentation and formulation of probiotic products.

• Alpha-diversity assesses the richness and uniformity of species present within the same sample (number of species observed, Shannon diversity, Simpson index, etc.).
• Beta-diversity compares the difference in microbial composition between several samples (Bray-Curtis distances, UniFrac, etc.), allowing the identification of factors influencing variability (origin, treatment, formulation, environment, etc.).

Methods and technologies used

The analysis is based on the sequencing of target genetic regions characteristic of microorganisms:

• 16S rRNA : for bacteria and archaea.
• ITS (Internal Transcribed Spacer) : for fungi and yeasts.
• 18S rRNA : for unicellular eukaryotes.

Analytical steps:

1. Extraction of total DNA from the sample.
2. PCR amplification of target regions (16S, ITS, etc.).
3. NGS sequencing (Illumina MiSeq, NovaSeq, etc.).
4. Bioinformatics processing :

• • Sequence filtering and assembly.
  • Taxonomic attribution (from SILVA, Greengenes, UNITE databases).
  • Calculation of alpha and beta diversity indices.
  • Graphical representation (heatmaps, PCA, dendrograms).

Affected matrices

The study applies to a wide range of samples:

• Soils and sediments : monitoring of microbial biodiversity, bioremediation.
• Fermented products : kefir, kombucha, yogurts, beers, wines, etc.
• Probiotic ingredients : quality control of strains and microbial blend.
• Health or nutraceutical products : evaluation of microbial composition before marketing.
• Environmental samples : water, industrial surfaces, biofilms, biodegradable packaging.

Industrial and scientific applications

The study of alpha and beta diversity allows us to:

• Characterize the microbial composition of a complex sample.
• Compare formulations, treatments or processes that have an impact on the microbiota.
• Evaluate the microbial stability of a product over time.
• Control the microbiological quality of raw materials, fermentation processes and finished products.
• Optimize fermentation processes in the food, nutraceutical or cosmetic industries.
• Measure the environmental impact of materials or packaging on microbial biodiversity.

Related analyses

YesWeLab recommends completing this study with:

• Study of microbiological stability to monitor the evolution of microbial flora over time.
• Measurement of a pollutant in a sample in order to assess the interactions between microbiota and chemical contaminants.

YesWeLab expertise

YesWeLab relies on a network of laboratories specialized in molecular biology and metagenomics , accredited ISO 17025 and COFRAC .
Our experts support companies in:

• The choice of the appropriate sequencing strategy (amplicon, shotgun, ITS, 16S).
• Bioinformatics and statistical analysis of NGS data.

Thanks to the YesWeLab digital platform , you can order and track your analyses online, obtain interactive reports and visualize your microbial profiles in the form of graphs and comparative matrices.