SILVA
Definition
Curated ribosomal RNA sequence database (Max Planck Institute for Marine Microbiology, Bremen). Provides quality-filtered 16S, 18S, 23S, and 28S reference alignments for microbial identification; versioned releases allow precise citation in forensic reports.
- Database type
- Curated ribosomal RNA sequence database
- Maintaining institution
- Max Planck Institute for Marine Microbiology, Bremen
- Genes covered
- 16S, 18S, 23S and 28S rRNA
- Update format
- Versioned, citable releases
Common questions
Why does the specific SILVA release version matter in a forensic report?+
Reference databases are updated periodically as new sequences and taxonomic revisions are added, so an identification made against one release may not reproduce exactly against a later one; citing the version lets another analyst repeat the exact comparison.
How does SILVA differ from a general sequence repository like GenBank?+
SILVA applies quality filtering and consistent taxonomic curation specifically to ribosomal RNA genes, which reduces the chimeric and misannotated sequences that can appear in an unfiltered general-purpose database.
Related terms
- 16S rRNA
- The small-subunit ribosomal RNA gene in bacteria (~1,550 bp). The V3-V4 hypervariable region (~470 bp) is amplified with universal bacterial primers for...
- BOLD Systems
- Barcode of Life Data System (University of Guelph, Canada). Holds over 9 million COI reference barcodes linked to voucher specimens, with mandatory...
- COI (COX1)
- Cytochrome-c oxidase subunit I gene. The 658-base-pair Folmer fragment is the globally adopted barcode-of-life marker for animals, curated in BOLD Systems and...
- Cytochrome B (Cyt B)
- A mitochondrial protein-coding gene widely used in forensic species identification before COI barcoding was standardised. Still used because its reference database for...
- ITS Region
- Internal transcribed spacer region, flanking the 5.8S rRNA gene between the 18S and 28S subunits in fungi and plants. The ITS1-5.8S-ITS2 fragment...
- PCR-RFLP
- PCR followed by restriction fragment length polymorphism analysis. A restriction enzyme cuts the amplicon at species-specific recognition sites; the resulting fragment pattern...