Microbes run the world. Although we can’t usually see them, microbes are essential for every part of human life—indeed all life on Earth. Every process in the biosphere is touched by the seemingly endless capacity of microbes to transform the world around them. This activity touches almost every aspect of human health, agriculture, and the environment. 

Metagenomics is a relatively new field of research based on high-throughput sequencing (or Next Generation Sequencing) and it’s popularity signifies a growing appreciation for the composition of microbial communities (microbiomes) and the genetic information their genomes carry. Metagenomics allows us to study the microbiome in its natural environment and learn about the cooperative and often symbiotic relationships between prokaryotes, eukaryotes, viruses, and archaea. 

Metagenomics 2 builds on previous courses on metagenomics and covers the application of bioinformatics to understand the microbial world. In this course, you will learn to compare microbial composition in different conditions, learn about 16s amplicon sequencing and the DADA2 analysis pipeline specifically designed for these kids on studies.

Topics:

• 16s metagenomics sequencing
• Microbiome – functional bacterial community
• Analysis challenges – short reads, HVRs, OTUs
• Mapping on databases
• DADA2 pipeline 
• Phylogenetic analysis