Molecular ecology and microbiomes in the wild: methodological advances,
common pitfalls and future directions
- Nick Fountain-Jones,
- Tatiana Giraud,
- Lucie Zinger,
- Holly Bik,
- Simon Creer,
- Elin Videvall
Lucie Zinger
Institut de Biologie de l’ENS (IBENS), Département de Biologie, École normale supérieure, CNRS, INSERM, Université PSL, Paris, France
Author ProfileAbstract
The study of microbiomes across organisms and environments has become a
prominent focus in molecular ecology. This perspective article explores
methodological advancements, common challenges and future directions in
the field. Key research areas include understanding the drivers of
microbiome community assembly, linking microbiome composition to host
genetics, exploring microbial functions, transience, and spatial
partitioning, and disentangling non-bacterial components of the
microbiome. Methodological advancements, such as quantifying absolute
abundances, sequencing complete genomes, and utilizing novel statistical
approaches, are also useful tools for understanding complex microbial
diversity patterns. Our aims are to encourage robust practices in
microbiome studies and inspire researchers to explore the next frontier
of this rapidly changing field.27 Sep 2023Submitted to Molecular Ecology 27 Sep 2023Submission Checks Completed
27 Sep 2023Assigned to Editor
27 Sep 2023Review(s) Completed, Editorial Evaluation Pending
27 Sep 2023Reviewer(s) Assigned
17 Oct 2023Editorial Decision: Revise Minor
13 Nov 20231st Revision Received
14 Nov 2023Submission Checks Completed
14 Nov 2023Assigned to Editor
14 Nov 2023Review(s) Completed, Editorial Evaluation Pending
15 Nov 2023Editorial Decision: Accept