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A recent study conducted by researchers at the University of Melbourne has found that DNA from non-viable bacteria can bias diversity estimates in certain coral species. The study focused on the microbiomes of six coral species and used a combination of propidium monoazide (PMA) treatment and high-throughput sequencing to obtain more accurate information on bacterial communities. The researchers discovered that untreated samples showed higher community evenness and species diversity compared to PMA-treated samples, indicating that non-viable DNA can impact community composition data. This study provides valuable insights into the dynamic nature of host-associated microbiomes and highlights the importance of using versatile tools in analyzing sequencing data. [Extracted from the article]