Expanding and Deploying Data Visualization Tools for Mining Metagenomes

High-throughput sequencing has transformed microbiology, allowing researchers to complement targeted detection of microbes and traditional culture-based approaches with culture-independent profiling of complex microbial communities directly in their native ecosystem. Metagenomic data has become relatively simple to generate, however, the visualization of metagenomic data remains a major bottleneck for researchers. This project will take a multi-pronged approach to enhance the web-based resource MicrobiomeDB.org, to empower users with limited bioinformatics training to visually explore and analyze the full breadth and depth of their own metagenomic studies.