Metagenomics, the study of all genetic material within a community of microbes, can be applied broadly to research across many industries. The field of microbiome research is booming and will continue to expand into both new and existing areas of research and development, including medicine. In this webinar, I will discuss how metagenomics can be used to develop microbiome-based biomarkers. Such biomarkers may be applied to precision medicine, direct-to-consumer applications, and agriculture. Medical studies of the human microbiome can be leveraged in developing diagnostic tools, new therapies, and even as an indicator of success in a surgical procedure. Direct to consumer applications of metagenomics are helping reveal links between our microbiome and health, diet, or lifestyle. Microbiome-based biomarkers can also be developed in other fields like agriculture to help understand plant health or to improve crop yield. As the number of microbiome based studies continues to grow, the applications of metagenomics will as well. This webinar will introduce bioinformatics techniques for metagenomic analysis and discuss several exciting applications for this new class of biomarkers, highlighting the current and future developments within precision medicine.



