TABLE 1.

Important parameters reviewed after a BLAST search for 16S sequences^a

Parameter	Definition
Match accuracy	Best matching reference sequences should show the lowest no. of mismatches (not necessarily reflected by default sorting by BLAST score)
Match length	Matching reference sequences should cover an isolate sequence entirely; shorter matching sequences by BLAST should be verified by alignment with the isolate sequence for missing mismatches on the edges
Match consistency	An isolate sequence that matches a no. of reference sequences within the same species and genus annotation increases the confidence for such species and genus identification
Match differentiation	To be able to estimate the degree of an isolate’s differentiation to the next closest species, sequences derived from closely related but different species should appear on the list of matching reference sequences, to be evaluated in this context

^aSee reference 5.