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Related Concept Videos

Methods to Assess Microbial Communities01:19

Methods to Assess Microbial Communities

Microbial communities, comprising bacteria, archaea, and eukaryotic microorganisms, inhabit diverse ecosystems and play crucial roles in environmental and biological processes. Their diversity is defined by three main parameters: species richness (the number of distinct species), species abundance (the relative quantity of each species), and species evenness (how uniformly individual species are distributed in various locations). These factors together shape the structure and ecological balance...
Introduction to the Human Microbiota01:22

Introduction to the Human Microbiota

Microorganisms colonize various regions of the human body, including the mouth, nasal passages, throat, stomach, intestines, urogenital tract, and skin. The total number of microbial cells is estimated to range from 10¹³ to 10¹⁴—comparable to, or exceeding, the number of human somatic cells. This host–microbiome relationship has led to the conceptualization of humans as supraorganisms, wherein microbial communities perform vital roles in development, immunity, and disease...
Methods to Assess Microbial Populations01:30

Methods to Assess Microbial Populations

Assessing microbial populations is crucial for understanding microbial roles in health, ecology, and industry. Various complementary techniques—both culture-based and molecular—enable detailed analysis of microbial abundance, diversity, and function.Viable Plate CountThe viable plate count is a traditional culture-based method used to estimate the number of living microbes in a sample. After serial dilution, the sample is spread onto nutrient agar plates. Each viable cell forms a visible...
Modern Molecular Taxonomy01:29

Modern Molecular Taxonomy

Advancements in molecular biology have revolutionized the identification and characterization of bacteria, with multiple methods leveraging DNA sequencing for enhanced precision. As sequencing technologies improve and costs decline, these approaches are increasingly used in clinical, environmental, and evolutionary studies.Multilocus Sequence Typing (MLST) examines several housekeeping genes, essential chromosomal genes encoding cellular functions, to distinguish strains. Approximately...
Development of Human Microbiota01:30

Development of Human Microbiota

The human microbiota begins developing at birth and undergoes continual change as we age. Infancy marks a critical period of microbial sensitivity, offering a “window of opportunity” during which beneficial microbes help mature the immune system. By age three, children typically develop a more stable and diverse microbial community. Newborns acquire microbes from their immediate environment; vaginal delivery favors maternal vaginal microbes, while cesarean births favor microbes from the skin...
Rapid Identification of Pathogens01:25

Rapid Identification of Pathogens

MALDI-TOF MS has transformed clinical microbiology by offering a rapid and reliable method for pathogen identification. The traditional approach to microbial identification typically involves time-consuming culture techniques and biochemical tests, which can delay the initiation of appropriate antimicrobial therapy. MALDI-TOF MS avoids these delays by using characteristic ribosomal protein mass patterns of microbial cells, enabling accurate species-level identification within minutes.Principle...

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Related Experiment Video

Updated: Jun 23, 2026

Microbiota Analysis Using Two-step PCR and Next-generation 16S rRNA Gene Sequencing
11:22

Microbiota Analysis Using Two-step PCR and Next-generation 16S rRNA Gene Sequencing

Published on: October 15, 2019

Microbial community profiling for human microbiome projects: Tools, techniques, and challenges.

Micah Hamady1, Rob Knight

  • 1Department of Computer Science, University of Colorado, Boulder, Colorado 80309, USA.

Genome Research
|April 23, 2009
PubMed
Summary
This summary is machine-generated.

Microbial community analysis is advancing rapidly with new sequencing and software tools. However, human microbiome studies suggest individual diversity is high, challenging the idea of a shared core species.

More Related Videos

Guided Protocol for Fecal Microbial Characterization by 16S rRNA-Amplicon Sequencing
08:05

Guided Protocol for Fecal Microbial Characterization by 16S rRNA-Amplicon Sequencing

Published on: March 19, 2018

Exploring the Root Microbiome: Extracting Bacterial Community Data from the Soil, Rhizosphere, and Root Endosphere
09:55

Exploring the Root Microbiome: Extracting Bacterial Community Data from the Soil, Rhizosphere, and Root Endosphere

Published on: May 2, 2018

Related Experiment Videos

Last Updated: Jun 23, 2026

Microbiota Analysis Using Two-step PCR and Next-generation 16S rRNA Gene Sequencing
11:22

Microbiota Analysis Using Two-step PCR and Next-generation 16S rRNA Gene Sequencing

Published on: October 15, 2019

Guided Protocol for Fecal Microbial Characterization by 16S rRNA-Amplicon Sequencing
08:05

Guided Protocol for Fecal Microbial Characterization by 16S rRNA-Amplicon Sequencing

Published on: March 19, 2018

Exploring the Root Microbiome: Extracting Bacterial Community Data from the Soil, Rhizosphere, and Root Endosphere
09:55

Exploring the Root Microbiome: Extracting Bacterial Community Data from the Soil, Rhizosphere, and Root Endosphere

Published on: May 2, 2018

Area of Science:

  • Microbiology
  • Bioinformatics
  • Genomics

Background:

  • High-throughput sequencing and computational tools are transforming microbial community analysis.
  • The diversity of experimental and computational methods can be overwhelming for researchers.

Purpose of the Study:

  • To review various approaches for microbial community profiling.
  • To highlight the strengths and weaknesses of different experimental, sequencing, and analytical methods.
  • To address the question of a shared core microbiome across individuals.

Main Methods:

  • Review of existing literature on microbial community profiling techniques.
  • Analysis of experimental, sequencing, and computational methodologies.
  • Discussion of findings from Human Microbiome Projects.

Main Results:

  • Significant diversity exists among individuals in certain human body habitats like the hand and gut.
  • The possibility of a core set of highly abundant species shared by all individuals can be ruled out for these habitats.
  • Focus may need to shift to higher-level taxa or functional genes.

Conclusions:

  • Microbial community analysis offers diverse methods, each with pros and cons.
  • Human microbiome research indicates substantial inter-individual variation, questioning the concept of a universal core species.
  • Future research may benefit from focusing on broader taxonomic levels or functional gene analysis.