title: Conducting a microbiome study.
abstract: Human microbiome research is an actively developing area of inquiry, with ramifications for our lifestyles, our interactions with microbes, and how we treat disease. Advances depend on carefully executed, controlled, and reproducible studies. Here, we provide a Primer for researchers from diverse disciplines interested in conducting microbiome research. We discuss factors to be considered in the design, execution, and data analysis of microbiome studies. These recommendations should help researchers to enter and contribute to this rapidly developing field.
authors.affiliation: Department of Molecular Biology and Genetics, Cornell University, Ithaca, NY 14853, USA; Department of Microbiology, Cornell University, Ithaca, NY 14853, USA.
authors.forename: Julia K
authors.initials: JK
authors.lastname: Goodrich
authors.affiliation: Department of Molecular Biology and Genetics, Cornell University, Ithaca, NY 14853, USA; Department of Microbiology, Cornell University, Ithaca, NY 14853, USA.
authors.forename: Sara C
authors.initials: SC
authors.lastname: Di Rienzi
authors.affiliation: Department of Molecular Biology and Genetics, Cornell University, Ithaca, NY 14853, USA; Department of Microbiology, Cornell University, Ithaca, NY 14853, USA.
authors.forename: Angela C
authors.initials: AC
authors.lastname: Poole
authors.affiliation: Department of Molecular Biology and Genetics, Cornell University, Ithaca, NY 14853, USA; Department of Microbiology, Cornell University, Ithaca, NY 14853, USA.
authors.forename: Omry
authors.initials: O
authors.lastname: Koren
authors.affiliation: Department of Molecular, Cellular, and Developmental Biology, University of Colorado, Boulder, CO 80309, USA.
authors.forename: William A
authors.initials: WA
authors.lastname: Walters
authors.affiliation: Department of Biological Sciences, Northern Arizona University, Flagstaff, AZ 86011, USA; Institute for Genomics and Systems Biology, Argonne National Laboratory, Argonne, IL 60439, USA.
authors.forename: J Gregory
authors.initials: JG
authors.lastname: Caporaso
authors.affiliation: Department of Chemistry and Biochemistry, University of Colorado, Boulder, CO 80309, USA; BioFrontiers Institute, University of Colorado, Boulder, CO 80309, USA; Howard Hughes Medical Institute, University of Colorado, Boulder, CO 80309, USA.
authors.forename: Rob
authors.initials: R
authors.lastname: Knight
authors.affiliation: Department of Molecular Biology and Genetics, Cornell University, Ithaca, NY 14853, USA; Department of Microbiology, Cornell University, Ithaca, NY 14853, USA. Electronic address: rel222@cornell.edu.
authors.forename: Ruth E
authors.initials: RE
authors.lastname: Ley
mesh_terms: D000818:Animals; D001105:Archaea / Q000145:classification / Q000235:genetics / Q000302:isolation & purification; D001419:Bacteria / Q000145:classification / Q000235:genetics / Q000302:isolation & purification; D017408:Guidelines as Topic; D006801:Humans; D008828:Microbiological Techniques; D064307:Microbiota; D016133:Polymerase Chain Reaction; D021521:Ribotyping