Table 1. Platform-dependent properties in Sanger-, Illumina- and PacBio-based community profiling.
| Sanger | Illumina (MiSeq) | PacBio RSII | |
|---|---|---|---|
| Cloning required | Yes | Noa | Noa |
| Average sequence time | ~3 h/96-well plate | 8 h | 2 h/SMRT cell |
| Commonly used primers/amplicons | 4aF/27 F, 1392 R → near full-lengtha | Various → up to 500 bp | 4aF/27 F, 1492 R → full-lengtha |
| Amplification during sequencing | Noa | Yes | Noa |
| Average data output | ~0.1 Mb per 96-well plate | 8 Gb per Flowcella | 0.3 Gb per SMRT Cella |
| Approximate cost per Mb | ~US$2000.00b | US$0.11a | US$2.50 |
Abbreviations: F, forward; PacBio, Pacific Biosciences; R, reverse; SMRT, single-molecule real-time.
a
Clear platform advantages.
b
Cost is burdened.