Microbiome data management in action workshop: Atlanta, GA, USA, June 12-13, 2024.

Area of Science:

• Microbiome research
• Data science
• Bioinformatics

Background:

• Microbiome data value is limited by the lack of standardized data management practices.
• Existing standards like STORMS (Strengthening the Organization and Reporting of Microbiome Studies) primarily focus on human microbiomes.
• Significant gaps exist in data standards for environmental, synthetic, and non-human host-associated microbiomes.

Purpose of the Study:

• To address the need for standardized data management in environmental, synthetic, and non-human host-associated microbiome research.
• To bring together key stakeholders in microbiome science to discuss challenges and propose solutions.
• To develop actionable recommendations for coordinated data management and adapt existing guidelines.

Main Methods:

• Convened the Microbiome Data Management in Action Workshop with 50 key decision-makers from research, publishing, funding, and data repositories.
• Facilitated discussions on recent progress, challenges, and future directions in microbiome data management.
• Brainstormed recommendations for adapting the STORMS guidelines for broader microbiome research applications.

Main Results:

• Identified critical gaps in data standards for non-human and environmental microbiome research.
• Generated actionable recommendations for improving microbiome data management and promoting the adoption of consensus standards.
• Outlined a roadmap for implementing best practices in microbiome data management across the field.

Conclusions:

• Standardized data management is essential for unlocking the full potential of microbiome research.
• Adapting and extending existing guidelines like STORMS is a viable path forward for diverse microbiome studies.
• The proposed roadmap and best practices will facilitate data reuse, reanalysis, and advanced computational efforts like machine learning.