| Summary: | Full-length SSU rRNA gene sequencing allows species-level identification of the microorganisms present in milk samples. Here, we used bulk-tank raw milk samples of two German dairies and detected, using this method, a great diversity of bacteria, archaea, and yeasts within the samples. Moreover, the species-level classification was improved in comparison to short amplicon sequencing. Therefore, we anticipate that this approach might be useful for the detection of possible mastitis-causing species, as well as for the control of spoilage-associated microorganisms. In a proof of concept, we showed that we were able to identify several putative mastitis-causing or mastitis-associated species such as <i>Streptococcus</i><i>uberis</i>, <i>Streptococcus</i><i>agalactiae</i>, <i>Streptococcus</i><i>dysgalactiae</i>, <i>Escherichia</i><i>coli</i> and <i>Staphylococcus</i><i>aureus</i>, as well as several <i>Candida</i> species. Overall, the presented full-length approach for the sequencing of SSU rRNA is easy to conduct, able to be standardized, and allows the screening of microorganisms in labs with Illumina sequencing machines.
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