working group metabarcoding data harmonisation

Online working group (23-26th November 2020)
Toward harmonisation for the generation of metabarcoding data:
Soil Biodiversity and Terrestrial Arthropod modules

ORGANISERS

Paula Arribas

Brent C. Emerson

The main objective of this working group is to use the joint experience and background of the attendees (many of who are involved in the implemention of metabarcoding approaches to different biodiversity fractions and with differential goals), to (i) review existing background and (ii) to derive a consensus for a minimum set of protocols across the sequence of the fundamental steps of the metabarcoding data generation. The working group will focus on two biodiversity fractions: soil biodiversity and terrestrial arthropods. We realise that it is unrealistic and overambitious to think that the proposals arising from this working group will be a golden standard to be followed for any researcher independently of the different scientific interests or questions addressed. Instead, what we aim for is to: (i) improve metabarcoding standardisation and integration, and (ii) provide a useful resource for new users of metabarcoding that will thus facilitate future data integration.