Metagenomics current research, application and computational analysis

Ruchi Yadav, Arjun Singh Kohli, Jyoti Prakash

Amity Institute of Biotechnology, Amity University Uttar Pradesh, Lucknow Campus, Lucknow, Utter Pradesh, India

ABSTRACT

Metagenomics is the combination of genomics branch and meta that means huge set of genomes from different organisms. Metagenomics is also called as environmental genomics or community metagenomics it is the field to study microbial community in the natural sample like soil, ocean, river, plants, animals, humans etc. With the advent of next generation sequencing techniques and capability of high-end sophisticated software and tools it is possible to analysed mixed population of genomes. Metagenomics has enabled researchers to study microbes and their interaction within themselves and environment to explore microbe interaction and functions. This approach of studying microbiome in any natural samples or biological samples has tremendous application in research like agriculture, animal breeding, textile, industry, clinical and medicine, food and beverages, drug discovery etc. Relationship between a human being and their microbiome is a mutualistic symbiosis. It aids in immune system development and providing defence against enteric infection. Human metagenome is widely studied to explore effect and presence of microorganisms in different body organs like intestine, skin, liver, brain,gut metagenome, cancer cells, ulcers etc and different disease conditions. Human metagenomics study is important to uncover functional microbes in disease condition also in different stage of growth and development. This review explores and signifies the importance of metagenomics in understanding human metagenome, metagenome sequencing, computational tools and databases, workflow for metagenomics analysis.

Keywords:

Metagenome, Human metagenome, Metagenome analysis, Skin metagenome, Next-generation sequencing