Data Analysis Strategies for Microbiome Studies in Human Populations—a Systematic Review of Current Practice
Sven Kleine Bardenhorst, Tom Berger, Frank Klawonn, Marius Vital, André Karch, Nicole Rübsamen
Abstract
The human microbiome has emerged as an important factor in the development of health and disease. Growing interest in this topic has led to an increasing number of studies investigating the human microbiome using high-throughput sequencing methods. However, the development of suitable analytical methods for analyzing microbiome data has not kept pace with the rapid progression in the field. It is crucial to understand current practice to identify the scope for development. Our results highlight the need for an extensive evaluation of the strengths and shortcomings of existing methods in order to guide the choice of proper analysis strategies. We have identified where new methods could be designed to address more advanced research questions while taking into account the complex structure of the data.