TerrestrialMetagenomeDB

TerrestrialMetagenomeDB aggregates curated and standardized metadata for terrestrial metagenomes to enable discovery and comparative analysis of environmental microbial community genetic potential.

Key Features:

• Curated Repository: The database includes 15,022 terrestrial metagenomes sourced from MG-RAST and the Sequence Read Archive (SRA), totaling approximately 68 terabytes of data.
• Standardized Metadata: Text mining techniques assign descriptive keywords and contextual environmental annotations, including biome and material categorizations, to each dataset.
• Comprehensive Categorization: The resource contains 199 terrestrial terms divided into 14 categories, covering samples from 83 countries, 30 biomes, and 7 main source materials.
• Support for Meta-Analyses: Provides standardized, well-annotated datasets to facilitate comparative analyses of terrestrial metagenomes.

Scientific Applications:

• Comparative Metagenomics: Compare terrestrial metagenomes to identify taxonomic, functional, and environmental patterns across diverse sites.
• Ecological Studies: Investigate the distribution and functional potential of microbial communities across biomes and materials.
• Environmental Monitoring: Track changes in microbial community composition and potential functions in response to environmental or anthropogenic factors.

Methodology:

Terrestrial metagenomes were defined as samples not associated with marine environments, and metadata curation employed text mining techniques to assign descriptive keywords and environmental categories.