The MIEM guidelines: Minimum information for reporting of environmental metabarcoding data

2024/12/30 by Katy E. Klymus, Jacoby Baker, Cathryn L. Abbott +19 · 1 voice · 2 citations
Environmental Science · Biochemistry, Genetics and Molecular Biology · #Environmental DNA in Biodiversity Studies #Microbial Community Ecology and Physiology #Protist diversity and phylogeny

paper · pdf · doi:10.3897/mbmg.8.128689

openalex publication_date 2024/12/30 · openalex created_date 2025/10/10 · openalex updated_date 2026/07/28

Abstract

Environmental DNA (eDNA) and RNA (eRNA) metabarcoding has become a popular tool for assessing biodiversity from environmental samples, but inconsistent documentation of methods, data and metadata makes results difficult to reproduce and synthesise. A working group of scientists have collaborated to produce a set of minimum reporting guidelines for the constituent steps of metabarcoding workflows, from the physical layout of laboratories through to data archiving. We emphasise how reporting the suite of data and metadata should adhere to findable, accessible, interoperable and reproducible (FAIR) data standards, thereby providing context for evaluating and understanding study results. An overview of the documentation considerations for each workflow step is presented and then summarised in a checklist that can accompany a published study or report. Ensuring workflows are transparent and documented is critical to reproducible research and should allow for more efficient uptake of metabarcoding data into management decision-making.

Citations

• The MIQE Guidelines: Minimum Information for Publication of Quantitative Real-Time PCR Experiments
• Environmental<scp>DNA</scp>metabarcoding of lake fish communities reflects long‐term data from established survey methods
• The current state of eDNA research in freshwater ecosystems: are we shifting from the developmental phase to standard application in biomonitoring?
• Environmental DNA and RNA in aquatic community ecology: Toward methodological standardization

Cited by

• From environmental DNA into actionable biodiversity data: Towards the implementation of the Kunming-Montreal Global Biodiversity Framework
• A 178 bp diagnostic D-loop fragment (OvisCR) to discriminate domestic sheep (Ovis aries) and European mouflon (Ovis musimon) in diet metabarcoding studies

Discussions

• Read the winning paper, "The MIEM guidelines: Minimum information for reporting of environmental metabarcoding data" here: doi.org/10.3897/mbmg... [bsky, 2 points, 0 comments]

Related

• A Metadata Checklist and Data Formatting Guidelines to Make <scp>eDNA FAIR</scp> (Findable, Accessible, Interoperable, and Reusable)
• Navigating the European aquatic eDNA landscape: Opportunities for metadata standardisation and data mobilisation
• Guidance and best practices for species identification using eDNA metabarcoding - When do you call a cod a cod?
• Guidance and best practices for species identification using eDNA metabarcoding – When do you call a cod a cod?
• What is eDNA method standardisation and why do we need it?