The MicrobeAtlas database: Global trends and insights into Earth's microbial ecosystems

Area of Science:

• Microbial ecology and genomics
• Bioinformatics and data science

Background:

• Environmental DNA sequencing has advanced microbial ecology studies.
• Global microbiome sequencing efforts face challenges due to diverse methodologies, hindering universal data integration and analysis.

Purpose of the Study:

• To create a unified, harmonized resource of global microbiome data.
• To facilitate cross-technology discoveries and ecological context for microbial communities.

Main Methods:

• Integration of over two million microbiome samples into a single database.
• Hierarchical quantification of microbial communities using small subunit rRNA marker genes.
• Inclusion of detailed metadata, including geographic information and links to genomic and phenotypic data.

Main Results:

• Harmonized data enables tracking of microbial lineages across diverse environments, including rare species.
• Identification of recurring community structures and geographic preferences.
• Emergence of global, taxonomy-specific generalism trends.

Conclusions:

• MicrobeAtlas provides a comprehensive resource for exploring microbial diversity and ecology.
• The platform allows researchers to place known and novel species and communities within their ecological context.
• Facilitates deeper understanding of microbial life on a global scale.