Longitudinal metagenomics

2018

Culture-independent approaches are revolutionizing biology. Whether in a clinical or in an environmental sample, metagenomics can reveal which microorganisms exist and what they actually do. Metagenomic studies have unveiled more microbial diversity in a few years than traditional microbiology in centuries. From the top branches down to the roots, its discoveries are reshaping the tree of life dramatically. Metagenomics is a powerful tool for the study of microbial communities, but it requires equally powerful methods of analysis. Current challenges in the analysis of metagenomic data include the accurate comparison of samples, the estimation of the uncertainty in the results, and the effec…