MetaCoMET: a web platform for discovery and visualization of the core microbiome.

Abstract

A key component of the analysis of microbiome datasets is the identification of OTUs shared between multiple experimental conditions, commonly referred to as the core microbiome. We present a web platform named MetaCoMET that enables the discovery and visualization of the core microbiome and provides a comparison of the relative abundance and diversity patterns between subsets of samples within a microbiome dataset. MetaCoMET provides an efficient and interactive graphical interface for analyzing each subset defined by the union or disjunction of groups within the Venn diagram, and includes a graphical taxonomy summary, alpha diversity metrics, Principal Coordinate analysis, abundance-based heatmaps, and a chart indicating the geographic distribution of each sample. MetaCoMET is a user-friendly and efficient web platform freely accessible at http://probes.pw.usda.gov/MetaCoMET or http://aegilops.wheat.ucdavis.edu/MetaCoMET CONTACT: devin.coleman-derr@ars.usda.govSupplementary information: Supplementary data are available at Bioinformatics online.