Human microbiome analysis is the study of microbial communities found in and on the human body. The goal of human microbiome profiling studies is to understand the role of microbes in health and disease. Next-generation sequencing (NGS) has fueled studies capable of surveying the genomes of entire microbial communities, including those of unculturable organisms.
Previously, studying human microbiome samples relied on time- and labor-intensive microbiology techniques of growing and isolating individual organisms followed by phenotypic or genotypic analysis. Microbial community profiling within a single sample was not possible with these older methods.
Microbial transcriptomics, or metatranscriptomics, provides key insights into the expressed RNAs encoded by a group of organisms in a complex sample. High-quality metatranscriptomics data enables researchers to quantify gene expression changes, predict resistance or susceptibility to specific treatments, understand host-pathogen immune interactions, and track disease progression.
The advent of next-generation sequencing enabled several high-profile collaborative projects such as the Human Microbiome Project, which has published a wide range of data on the human microbiome using NGS as a foundational tool.
NGS methods allow scientists to perform culture-free identification and classification of complex microbial communities. These methods can also accelerate discovery of novel species in microbiome samples and facilitate detection of virulence and antimicrobial resistance genes.
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Find your NGS workflow todayLearn about a gene-level bioinformatics approach for identifying disease-associated microbial species and strains from metagenomic sequencing data sets. Samuel Minot, PhD also demonstrates an interactive microbiome discovery portal.
Access WebinarThis webinar discusses emerging NGS methods, with a focus on their relevance for microbial community analysis. Dr. Stefan J. Green addresses practical approaches to high host and low microbial biomass issues.
Access WebinarSee how Drs. Tonya Ward, Emily Hollister, and Le François of Diversigen and DNA Genotek developed workflows for metatranscriptomic studies and read their views for this research area’s potentially impactful future.
See SpotlightIn this webinar, you'll hear from three leading experts in the field as they share their insights and key considerations on sample collection and processing, rRNA depletion, and bioinformatic analysis.
Watch WebinarNGS-based whole-genome shotgun sequencing and transcriptomics methods provide researchers and pharmaceutical companies with data to refine drug discovery and development.
Read ArticleResearchers at Microba are investigating the genomes of microbes to improve our understanding of human health, disease, and microbial evolution.
Read ArticleLearn how human microbes, the community of tiny single-cell organisms living inside our bodies, have a huge—and largely unexplored—impact on our health.
View VideoThe NextSeq 1000 and 2000 Systems empower sequencing for a broad range of applications, from target enrichment to single-cell profiling, metagenomics, transcriptome sequencing, and more. With over 75 updates, the systems offer dry instrumentation, easier run setup, and fast secondary analysis with DRAGEN software onboard. Experience our simplest workflows yet.
Learn MoreLearn how to design microbiome studies that maximize power and chances of success within a given research budget, and better understand how personalized diet-microbiome interactions could be affecting outcomes of your studies.
View WebinarThe Ribo-Zero Plus rRNA Depletion Kit removes rRNA before RNA-Seq, enabling you to focus on high-value portions of the transcriptome. This technical note demonstrates rRNA depletion performance on microbial isolate and community samples.
Read Technical NoteMicrobial communities can influence host immune response, affecting cancer progression and treatment efficacy. As NGS-based research continues to explore host–microbiome interactions, there is hope that information about the human microbiome might inform immunotherapeutic strategies.
Learn About Cancer Microbiome StudiesSequencing technologies are enabling a deeper analysis of the gut microbiome. Researchers can now explore what our microbial inhabitants are doing and how they contribute to, or protect from, disease.
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