Microbiome Research in Greece: A Comprehensive Bibliometric Study

Area of Science:

• Microbiome research
• Bibliometrics
• Scientific productivity analysis

Background:

• Bibliometric analyses are essential for evaluating scientific domains and identifying research trends.
• Understanding the landscape of microbiome research is crucial for advancing this interdisciplinary field.

Purpose of the Study:

• To conduct a bibliometric analysis of microbiome research by Greek scientists.
• To identify key trends, institutions, and research areas in Greek microbiome science.

Main Methods:

• Data sourced from the Scopus database using the keyword "microbiome" up to December 2024.
• Bibliometric analysis performed using VOSviewer and the bibliometrix package in R.
• Keyword analysis to identify central topics and emerging themes.

Main Results:

• Exponential growth in Greek microbiome research output observed since 2018.
• National and Kapodistrian University of Athens and Aristotle University of Thessaloniki are leading institutions.
• Predominant research fields include Medicine, Biochemistry, Genetics, Molecular Biology, Immunology, and Microbiology.
• Key topics identified: "microbiome", "microbiota", "probiotics", "prebiotics", "intestinal flora", and "16S rRNA".

Conclusions:

• Greek microbiome research is dynamic and rapidly expanding.
• Greek contributions to microbiome science hold international relevance.
• Alternative markers like 18S rRNA/ITS sequencing are important for fungal diversity studies.