In silico diatoms diversity analysis using 18S rRNA sequence available in NCBI
Department of Botany, University of Rajasthan, 302004, Jaipur, India.
Research Article
Open Access Research Journal of Life Sciences, 2026, 11(01), 001-008.
Article DOI: 10.53022/oarjls.2026.11.1.0035
Publication history:
Received on 09 October 2025; revised on 17 November 2025; accepted on 19 November 2025
Abstract:
The diatoms represent a very diverse family of algae that has significant economic and ecological implications. They act as mediators in the global biogeochemical cycles and serve as reliable bioindicators. For this study, diversity analysis was performed using the 18S rRNA sequences of 52 diatom species obtained from the NCBI GenBank database. We checked the sequence quality with AlgaeBase with the intention of verifying the genus and species, it ranged from 1300 to 1600 bp. Multiple sequence alignment was performed in MEGA 12 using the ClustalW algorithm, and Tamura-Nei appeared as the best-fitting nucleotide substitution model. To assess the robustness of the tree, 1,000 bootstrap replicates were run using a Maximum Likelihood construction method. The resultant phylogeny exhibited some divergence and some conserved evolutionary patterns, having well-supported clades corresponding to certain previously identified diatom lineages. In other words, the 18S rRNA gene is very informative about the taxonomy of diatoms and is very useful in the elaboration of evolutionary relationships. The study also provides a molecular infrastructure by which ecological monitoring programs may be furthered and our knowledge of diatom systematics enhanced. Therefore, all these molecular tools, like the 18S rRNA analysis, provide a firm foundation for furthering both the ecological research of diatoms and their biodiversity assessments.
Keywords:
Diatoms; Phylogenetic Analysis; Molecular Taxonomy; 18S rRNA Gene; And Bioindicators
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