Metatranscriptomics (“MTX”) is a powerful method for measuring microbial gene expression

Oct 22, 2021

Curtis Huttenhower, PhD

Curtis Huttenhower, PhD

Co-Investigator

Harvard TH Chan School of Public Health Boston, Massachusetts​
Curtis Huttenhower, PhD Curtis Huttenhower, PhD
Know about me Curtis Huttenhower, PhD

Curtis Huttenhower, PhD

Designation:

Co-Investigator

Phone:

Harvard TH Chan School of Public Health Boston, Massachusetts​

Email:

Microbial metagenomics

Department:

Curtis Huttenhower,Investigator Team,Investigators,WP2

Professor of Computational Biology and Bioinformatics

Departments of Biostatistics and Immunology and Infectious Diseases

Associate Member, Broad Institute of MIT and Harvard

Co-director, Harvard Chan Microbiome in Public Health Center

Metatranscriptomics (abbreviated “MTX”) is a powerful method for measuring the gene expression (functional activity) of many members of a microbial community all at the same time by using shotgun DNA sequencing technology. In a recent review article, the Huttenhower Lab surveys the state-of-the-art in this rapidly growing field and make recommendations for incorporating MTX in microbiome studies. For example, what bioinformatics methods are most appropriate for analyzing MTX sequencing data, and how do they differ from traditional community DNA sequence analysis? The authors explore many questions in detail with examples from successful prior MTX studies of the human microbiome and beyond. The article provides a rich resource for scientists looking to get started in the field of MTX as well as a positive vision for the future of the field.