Accepted_test

Quantifying ecological functional groups in the human gut microbiome: metagenomics meets trait-based ecology

by Alexandra Klimenko | Kropochev Andrew | Lashin Sergey | Institute of Cytology and Genetics, SB RAS, Novosibirsk, Russia | Kurchatov Genomic Center of the Institute of Cytology and Genetics, SB RAS, Novosibirsk, Russia

Abstract ID: 108

Event: BGRS-abstracts

Sections: [Sym 8] Modeling and computer analysis of microbiological systems and processes

The human gut microbiota plays a crucial role in digestive function, metabolism of short-chain fatty acids, vitamins and other compounds, immune function and maintenance of body health. Yet most software tools for functional analysis of metagenomic and metatranscriptomic data from the gut microbiota assess a wide range of potentially active functions and do not target specific processes that are key to a given ecosystem. Moreover, since generally functional traits of microorganisms have a limited phylogenetic conservatism trait-based ecology appears to be a well-suited approach to describe such complex ecosystems operating in terms of interactions between the ecological functional groups (EFGs) identified on the basis of ecologically relevant traits rather than taxonomic units. In this study we use specific trait-determining genetic features (TDGFs) to distinguish EFGs.