{
  "abstract": "Bronchoalveolar lavage is a common diagnostic strategy used to sample immune cells and microbiota of the lower respiratory tract. Metagenomic sequencing of raw bronchoalveolar lavage fluid reveals a low biomass microbial community often obscured by abundant host DNA. Here, we set out to determine an optimal strategy to robustly purify microbial DNA in excess of human DNA using a combinatorial lysis, host-depletion, DNA extraction approach. We identify strategies that improve metagenomic sequencing success that are commensurate with purification challenges that reduce signal from respiratory microbiota. Finally, we present a general framework to further improve microbial sequencing of lower respiratory tract samples in a robust and reproducible manner.",
  "abstract_shown": true,
  "affiliations": [
    "Northwestern University"
  ],
  "article_type": "New results",
  "arxiv": null,
  "author_total": 2,
  "authors": [
    {
      "name": "J. T. Sumner"
    },
    {
      "affs": [
        0
      ],
      "name": "E. M. Hartmann"
    }
  ],
  "bibtex": "https://research.draconitic.com/paper/9zmrrvz89ss49.bib",
  "cited_by": 0,
  "doi": "10.64898/2026.10.16.759757",
  "fulltext_url": "https://www.biorxiv.org/content/10.64898/2026.10.16.759757v1.full",
  "id": "9zmrrvz89ss49",
  "issns": [],
  "landing_url": "https://www.biorxiv.org/content/10.64898/2026.10.16.759757v1",
  "language": null,
  "licence": "CC-BY",
  "licence_label": "CC BY",
  "licence_source": "article",
  "licence_url": "https://creativecommons.org/licenses/by/4.0/",
  "metadata_licence": null,
  "native_subjects": [
    [
      "biorxiv",
      "microbiology"
    ],
    [
      "openalex",
      "1312|Genomics and Phylogenetic Studies"
    ]
  ],
  "openalex": "W7222974058",
  "pdf_url": "https://www.biorxiv.org/content/10.64898/2026.10.16.759757v1.full.pdf",
  "pmcid": null,
  "pmid": null,
  "published": "2026-10-16",
  "publisher": null,
  "ris": "https://research.draconitic.com/paper/9zmrrvz89ss49.ris",
  "sources": [
    {
      "first_seen": "2026-10-30T12:28:31Z",
      "native_id": "10.64898/2026.10.16.759757",
      "source": "biorxiv",
      "url": "https://www.biorxiv.org/content/10.64898/2026.10.16.759757v1"
    }
  ],
  "subjects": [
    {
      "field": "biology",
      "origin": "biorxiv:microbiology",
      "subfield": "microbiology"
    }
  ],
  "title": "Benchmarking Microbiome Methods for Improved Metagenomic Sequencing of Lower Respiratory Tract Samples",
  "title_text": "Benchmarking Microbiome Methods for Improved Metagenomic Sequencing of Lower Respiratory Tract Samples",
  "type": "preprint",
  "updated_at": "2026-10-30T12:28:31Z",
  "url": "https://research.draconitic.com/paper/9zmrrvz89ss49",
  "venue": "bioRxiv",
  "versions": []
}