The microbiome is the collection of microorganisms that live in and on the human body. It plays a vital role in human health and disease, and metagenomics can be used to study the diversity and function of these microorganisms. For example, researchers have used metagenomics to study the microbiome of the gut and how it affects conditions such as obesity, diabetes, and inflammatory bowel disease.
Understanding the microbiome. Predicting disease based on metagenomic profiles
Developing new treatment and therapies by identifying novel microorganisms or microbial products that have potential therapeutic uses
Diagnosing and monitoring infections: Metagenomics can be used to identify the causative agents of infectious diseases, even when traditional methods such as culturing are not possible. It can also be used to monitor the progression of an infection and the effectiveness of treatment as well as clinical surfaces.
Antimicrobial resistance: linking which antibiotic resistance genes is linked to pathogenic bacteria in patient samples as well as clinical surfaces.
Personalized medicine: Metagenomics can be used to study an individual's microbiome and how it may be related to their health and disease risk. This information can be used to develop personalized prevention and treatment strategies.
Nutrigenomics: study the link between nutrition and the microbiome to understand how nutrition affects the composition and function of the microbiome. This knowledge can be used to develop strategies for improving health through nutrition and microbiome manipulation via probiotics usage.