When microbial DNA is scarce, new profiling method helps separate genuine signals from contamination
In acute, life-threatening infections, rapidly characterizing the microorganisms in a patient sample can help guide diagnosis and treatment. Computational methods known as taxonomic profilers can analyze metagenome sequencing data generated from the microorganisms' genomic information and compare it with reference genomes of individual microorganisms. However, taxonomic profilers are still under…
In the world of microbiology, accurately identifying and quantifying microorganisms in a sample is crucial for various applications ranging from clinical diagnostics to environmental monitoring. However, current taxonomic profiling methods often struggle with false positives and inaccurate abundance estimates, particularly when dealing with scarce microbial DNA.
Researchers at the Helmholtz Centre for Infection Research (HZI) have developed a new tool called Metax to address this challenge. Metax leverages information about sequencing read distribution across microbial reference genomes to more reliably distinguish genuine microbial signals from contamination and artifacts. By considering genome-wide coverage information, Metax can more accurately identify which microorganisms are present in a sample and how abundant they are, even in low-biomass samples where true signals can be overwhelmed by host DNA or contaminants.
This enhanced profiling capability opens up new possibilities for research and clinical applications, including the study of the human microbiome, environmental monitoring, wastewater surveillance, and the detection of potential pathogens in clinical settings.
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