Depending on the biological question, researchers can choose to sequence a metagenomic sample using two main approaches. If the biological question to be resolved is, what types of organisms are present and in what abundance, the preferred approach would be to target and amplify a specific gene that is highly conserved among the species of interest. The 16S ribosomal RNA gene for bacteria and the 18S ribosomal RNA gene for protists are often used as target genes for this purpose.