10 ’Omics You Need To Know

Confused by the proliferation of ‘omics but don’t want to be left behind? Fret not, Asian Scientist Magazine has got you covered with our handy explainer on the hottest ‘omics around.

Metagenomics

Rod bacteria on surface of skin, mucous membrane or intestine illustration shutterstock_292343480

Material studied: Microbial DNA
Methods used: Shotgun sequencing, high-throughput sequencing

Microbial communities are ubiquitous in both the environment and in the human body. Our guts harbor trillions of bacteria that are thought to have a profound impact on our health.

Metagenomics—the genomic analysis of microbial DNA extracted directly from environmental samples such as water, soil and human stool—is a powerful means of surveying entire communities of microorganisms, the vast majority of which cannot be cultured using conventional methods.

Their metagenomic profiles tell us not only what microbes are present, but also what biological functions these tiny bugs may be performing.

Shuzhen received a PhD degree from the Johns Hopkins Bloomberg School of Public Health, USA, where she studied the immune response of mosquito vectors to dengue virus.

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