This study aims to extend the genomic information from our previous collection of isolated termite gut bacteria by sequencing and analyzing their genomes to uncover novel genetic elements and pathways involved in lignocellulolytic activity and bioactive compound production. This information can be combined with existing datasets to search for novel enzymes and bioactives with applications in biotechnology and medicine.
Human skin is a complex ecosystem where interaction between the host (human) and microbes happens. Depending on many physiological parameters, the skin provides a suitable environment for the skin microbiota to grow. In the axillary vault, sweat secretion from the apocrine gland is degraded by bacteria and might even act as probiotic. We are interested to profile the microbiome of people living in a tropical climate to find insight on the role of normal microbiome to control tropical diseases.
Human skin microbiome profile is affected by many factors including geographical location, environment, behaviour, and genetics. To understand more about the distribution of human skin microbiome across the globe, we are utilising the RESTful API of EBI metagenomic database to obtain study and sample information and compare it based on the respective metadata. We are utilising Python through Jupyter Notebook to provide reproducible exploration of microbiome data and its metagenome from EBI MGnify.
Publication: M. Nuhamunada et. al. 2018. “Data Mining and Comparative Analysis of Human Skin Microbiome from EBI Metagenomics Database”. DOI: 10.1109/BIOMIC.2018.8610588
Metagenome obtained from environmental samples might contain important information on how microbiome interact and adapt with different variables in the diverse microhabitat found on earth. Many of this interaction are found in the form of “small molecules” or metabolites which are expressed from a Biosynthetic Gene Clusters (BGCs). Using AntiSMASH & other genome mining methods, we are interested to explore potential BGCs from metagenomes (and it’s related product) and how they might play important role in microbiome symbiosis.