Bacteria form complex communities in various habitats including the human gut and skin. Studying these microbiomes is highly intricate with bias effects posing a major challenge at every stage from sample collection to analysis.

One critical issue arises during DNA extraction as different methods vary in their ability to retrieve DNA from specific bacterial species. This can lead to distortions in microbiome composition potentially compromising the accuracy of scientific and clinical findings.

Computer-Based Method for All Microbiome Samples

To address extraction bias scientists at the Chair of Environmental Medicine have developed standardized procedures. In a recent study Dr. Luise Rauer, from Prof. Avidan Neumann’s Environmental Bioinformatics team introduced an innovative computer-based method to correct these distortions.

This method relies on general bacterial characteristics such as cell shape and cell wall stability making it applicable regardless of the extraction technique or bacterial type Rauer explains. It can be used for all microbiome samples, including intestinal, skin, and environmental samples.

In their study researchers analyzed microbiome samples from skin and artificial bacterial communities (mock communities) with known compositions using different extraction methods. The new computational approach successfully minimized distortion effects leading to a more accurate determination of microbiome composition.

Microbiome tests enhance our understanding of diseases. These findings could greatly improve microbiome analysis in clinical applications like diagnostics and personalized medicine says Prof. Dr. Claudia Traidl-Hoffmann Chair of Environmental Medicine at the University of Augsburg and Director of the University Outpatient Clinic for Environmental Medicine. Reliable and consistent results are crucial in clinical practice.

Source: https://www.helmholtz-munich.de/newsroom/news/artikel/mikrobiom-forschende-verbessern-bakterienanalysen-fuer-klinische-anwendungen