Hello everybody,
I'm using Kraken2 for 16S analysis and I'm wondering how feasible it is to confidently identify a species when working with 16S (V3-V4 region). I have seen some tutorials, companies, and co-workers suggesting that it is impossible to definitively identify a bacterial species because the 16S fragment is too short.
However, I have also seen some articles defining bacterial species, and other articles related to Kraken2 and similar tools identifying species using 16S analysis. Therefore, I would like to know how reliable it is to claim that a species identified through 16S analysis is indeed that species. In my sample analyses, I found many species using Kraken2. I would like to hear your opinions on this matter.
I apologize in advance as I am new to the field of metagenomics and microbiology.
