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Updated: May 10, 2026

Guided Protocol for Fecal Microbial Characterization by 16S rRNA-Amplicon Sequencing
Published on: March 19, 2018
Advancing microbiome research through standardized data and metadata collection: introducing the Microbiome Research
Lyndon Zass1, Lamech M Mwapagha2, Adetola F Louis-Jacques3
1Computational Biology Division, Department of Integrative Biomedical Sciences, IDM, University of Cape Town, Rondebosch, Cape Town 7701, South Africa.
Abstract:
Microbiome research has made significant gains with the evolution of sequencing technologies. Ensuring comparability between studies and enhancing the findability, accessibility, interoperability and reproducibility of microbiome data are crucial for maximizing the value of this growing body of research. Addressing the challenges of standardized metadata reporting, collection and curation, the Microbiome Working Group of the Human Hereditary and Health in Africa (H3Africa) consortium aimed to develop a comprehensive solution. In this paper, we present the Microbiome Research Data Toolkit, a versatile tool designed to standardize microbiome research metadata, facilitate MIxS-MIMS and PhenX reporting, standardize prospective collection of participant biological and lifestyle data, and retrospectively harmonize such data. This toolkit enables past, present and future microbiome research endeavors to collaborate effectively, fostering novel collaborations and accelerating knowledge discovery in the field. Database URL: https://doi.org/10.25375/uct.24218999.v2.
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