Microbiome: A Key Factor of Research Outcomes
Gut microbiomes are as rich as they are sensitive. Complex and dynamic in nature, these ecosystems can shift in response to environmental variation caused by diet, cage type or location, housing density, bedding type, animal transportation, or even the administration of drugs such as tetracycline or tamoxifen.
To comprehensively characterize your research and maximize experimental reproducibility, conducting microbiome analysis is essential. Without monitoring, changes in microbial composition can influence phenotypes within an experiment or across experiments — leading to confounded or misinterpreted results.
Because the gut microbiome regulates a vast range of host systems, including the nervous and cardiovascular systems, Transnetyx ensures clear, reproducible results with customized analysis of your microbiome samples.
The Expansion of Reliable and Refined Animal Research
The reproducibility of animal research has evolved significantly in the last 70 years. Where poorly defined animals and infected rodent colonies were once common in laboratory studies, today’s models require pathogen-free animals, more consistent experimental data, and advanced animal model characterization.
In addition, the growth of sequencing technologies — such as our shotgun sequencing that provides sub-strain-level insight — has enabled an unparalleled understanding of the role and impact of the gut microbiome at affordable costs.
Together, microbiome monitoring and genetic analysis are critical to characterizing research models, and Transnetyx is here to meet the modern needs of researchers, labs, and institutions.
Your Framework for Tracking Microbiome Changes
Since the microbiome can vary due to a number of factors, the timing of when you analyze samples can make or break your results.
To gain more clarity on microbial shifts in an animal or colony, we recommend beginning your analysis when you’re:
Ensuring the microbiome is not impacting experimental results of an experiment (pre- and post-study).
Acquiring animals from a different vendor, institution, or lab.
Creating a new strain.
Introducing a new breeder.
Proactively monitoring or intentionally modifying the animal’s environment.
The Method Matters: Microbiome Analysis
Standardization for how we study the microbiome continues to evolve. Compared to historical protocols, samples can now be collected, stored, and shipped at ambient temperatures without impacting microbial composition.
Furthermore, DNA extraction methods can significantly alter the recovered profile, as each method varies in its ability to accurately capture DNA from different types of microbes.
Additionally, your approach to sequencing can also affect results. With updated methodologies like shotgun metagenomics, Transnetyx leverages Next Generation Sequencing to provide extensive insights into bacteria, fungi, archaea, and more — all without the typically substantial costs.
How Transnetyx Can Help You Understand Your Data
Microbial shifts can profoundly shape animal phenotypes and research outcomes. Regular colony surveillance ensures the speedy identification of any changes, helping you establish a baseline microbiome profile as you collect more data.
Knowing what’s “normal” for your colony’s microbiome composition is easier with modern bioinformatic software, such as BiotaBase™. It uses data from the ongoing collection of thousands of samples to generate a diversity index, then it identifies users when a sample is outside the standard bounds.
Transnetyx’s robust Microbiome Analysis service, powered by One Codex, provides the high-resolution data needed to make informed decisions that strengthen reproducible research.
Download The Importance of Microbiome Characterization in Research Reproducibility White Paper