# is it ok to do taxonomic classification by local alignment search tool (BLAST from NCBI) for OTUs obtained from QIIME2 **URL:** https://forum.qiime2.org/t/is-it-ok-to-do-taxonomic-classification-by-local-alignment-search-tool-blast-from-ncbi-for-otus-obtained-from-qiime2/18362 **Category:** User Support **Tags:** taxonomy **Created:** [February 3, 2021, 10:04am UTC](https://forum.qiime2.org/t/is-it-ok-to-do-taxonomic-classification-by-local-alignment-search-tool-blast-from-ncbi-for-otus-obtained-from-qiime2/18362 "2021-02-03T10:04:10Z") **Posts on this page:** 1 **Showing post:** 4
### Author: ![SoilRotifer](https://forum.qiime2.org/user_avatar/forum.qiime2.org/soilrotifer/32/21071_2.png) [@SoilRotifer](https://forum.qiime2.org/u/SoilRotifer) #### Post date: [February 5, 2021, 7:44pm UTC](https://forum.qiime2.org/t/is-it-ok-to-do-taxonomic-classification-by-local-alignment-search-tool-blast-from-ncbi-for-otus-obtained-from-qiime2/18362/4 "2021-02-05T19:44:54Z")
Hi @Fairytale, You can use either the "QIIME" or "UNITE+INSD" database for your taxonomic classification. The QIIME version is easy to import of course, you can simply follow the instructions to import the respective taxonomy and sequence files as [outlined here](https://docs.qiime2.org/2020.11/tutorials/importing/). As for the "UNITE+INSD" database... The data might exist as a FASTA file with the taxonomy information in the sequence headers. So, you'll want to follow the steps outlined below, in order to make a separate taxonomy and sequence file: > [@How do i create a taxonomic table from fasta file?](https://forum.qiime2.org/t/how-do-i-create-a-taxonomic-table-from-fasta-file/13900): > > Hello everybody, I am a new QIIME2 user. I want to work with functional genes and I am starting with the nifH gene (dinitrogenase reductase) Recently, I downloaded the database (fasta file) but the database didn't come with the taxonomic table and the database comprise only a code name and sequence: Name sequence Therefore i can't use QIIME without a taxonomic table and I want to create a new one. I tried to find commands how to create a table on QIIME2 or search on this forum but I didn't… and > [@Any method for converting FASTA to taxonomy (txt) format for import to FeatureData\[Taxonomy\]?](https://forum.qiime2.org/t/any-method-for-converting-fasta-to-taxonomy-txt-format-for-import-to-featuredata-taxonomy/9960/2): > > Check out the SILVA database — in addition to the SSU database that is most commonly used, they have a LSU database, which would include 23S. What I do not know is if it is comprehensive enough for your purposes (e.g., has all the species you expect to see). I'd start there — building on an existing database is always much easier than building a new one from scratch! what do the header lines look like in that fasta? If it is something like: \>sequenceID| d\_Eukaryota;k\_Chromista;p\_Ochrophyta;c… More relevant information can be found in the following forum posts: > [@Full UNITE+INSD dataset for Fungi](https://forum.qiime2.org/t/full-unite-insd-dataset-for-fungi/13409): > > Hi, I was wondering about which database should we use for ITS sequence analysis, UNITE or UNITE+INSD dataset? Is the UNITE+INSD dataset stable? Secondly, I got an error while training the UNITE database qiime tools import --type 'FeatureData[Sequence]' --input-path sh\_refs\_qiime\_ver8\_dynamic\_s\_02.02.2019\_dev.fasta --output-path unite.qza Imported sh\_refs\_qiime\_ver8\_dynamic\_s\_02.02.2019\_dev.fasta as DNASequencesDirectoryFormat to unite.qza qiime tools import --type 'FeatureData[Taxonomy]' … > [@Fungal ITS analysis tutorial](https://forum.qiime2.org/t/fungal-its-analysis-tutorial/7351): > > Fungal ITS analysis, mock communities, and more fun NOTE: This tutorial was written in a QIIME 2 2018.11 environment. It is not guaranteed to work with earlier or later versions of QIIME 2. This tutorial was compiled as a working exercise for a [QIIME 2 workshop](https://workshops.qiime2.org/microbiome-bioinformatics-qiime-2-2018-12-12/) in December 2018, and does not represent the only possible fungal ITS workflow with QIIME 2, or even a benchmarked protocol recommendation. See other tutorials, e.g., the [q2-itsxpress tutorial](https://forum.qiime2.org/t/q2-itsxpress-a-tutorial-on-a-qiime-2-plugin-to-trim-its-sequences/5780) for other fungal ITS analysis options in QII… -Cheers! -Mike --- _[View the full topic](https://forum.qiime2.org/t/is-it-ok-to-do-taxonomic-classification-by-local-alignment-search-tool-blast-from-ncbi-for-otus-obtained-from-qiime2/18362)._