New technology combines single-cell and metagenomic analysis to describe microorganisms

The human microbial community, collectively referred to as the "human microbiota", plays an indispensable role in maintaining human health

Metagenomics is an advanced DNA sequencing technology that can directly extract genetic material from mixed microbial populations and perform computer simulation and characterization at one time, while bypassing the tedious task of separating and cultivating different bacterial species from the mixture

Single-cell genomics is a promising alternative method to restore the genome from a single cell

In a pioneering collaborative study between Waseda University and the entrepreneurial project bitBiome of Waseda University in Japan, a research team including Associate Professor Masahito Hosokawa tested a hybrid method that combines traditional metagenomics with sc- The combination of metagenomics can bridge the gap between the two technologies

They first used microfluidic technology (an advanced DNA amplification technology) to generate a single-cell amplified genome (SAG) for use in human intestinal and skin microbiota, as well as "simulated" microbial communities containing known bacteria.

When comparing the integration method with the traditional metagenomics method, they found that compared with the traditional method, the integration method showed higher accuracy and precise bin, and significantly higher genome recovery rate (including rRNA, tRNA) And plasmids)

Using SMAGLinker, researchers can construct a large number of high-quality genomes from the gut and skin microbiota

After in-depth research, the researchers also used SMAGLinker to obtain a better resolution of species diversity

In summary, SMAGLinker is a powerful tool that can improve the accuracy and quality of recovery and resolution of closely related genomes in complex microbial mixtures

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