MG-RAST

MG-RAST annotates and analyzes metagenomic sequence data to assign functional and phylogenetic information and enable comparative metagenomic studies.

Key Features:

• Automated Functional Assignments: Automates functional annotation of metagenomic sequences by comparing them against protein and nucleotide databases.
• Phylogenetic and Functional Summaries: Generates detailed summaries of phylogenetic composition and functional potential of microbial communities.
• Comparative Metagenomics Tools: Provides integrated tools for comparative analyses between metagenomic datasets to assess diversity and functional differences across samples.
• High-throughput Automated Pipeline: Processes metagenomic data through an automated, high-throughput annotation workflow.
• High-Performance Computing Access: Utilizes high-performance computing resources to handle large-scale metagenome sequence analysis.
• Extensible Architecture: Supports multiple data sources and abstract data types through an extensible platform architecture.

Scientific Applications:

• Microbial community composition and diversity: Analyzing microbial community composition and diversity in environments such as soil, water, and host-associated ecosystems.
• Functional potential and biogeochemical studies: Investigating the functional potential of microbial communities and their roles in biogeochemical cycles.
• Comparative environmental and ecological studies: Comparing metagenomes across environments to study microbial ecology and interactions within complex habitats.

Methodology:

MG-RAST processes metagenomic data through a high-throughput automated annotation pipeline that compares sequences against protein and nucleotide databases to assign functional and phylogenetic annotations.