Better math and computer tools for studying the human microbiome
Statistical Methods for Microbiome and Metagenomics
This project is building faster, clearer math and computer programs to help researchers understand microbes in people with cancer, heart, or kidney conditions.
Quick facts
| Grant type | R01 grant |
|---|---|
| Study type | NIH-funded research |
| Funding institution | University of Pennsylvania NIH-funded |
| Lab location | 1 site (Philadelphia, United States) |
| Project ID | NIH-11171657 on NIH RePORTER |
What this research studies
Researchers are creating new statistical models and fast algorithms to make sense of huge DNA data from microbes that live in and on people. They will use evolutionary (phylogenomic) methods and measures of community stability to compare microbial populations across large patient samples and studies. The work focuses on shotgun metagenomic data and aims to deliver software that runs quickly on large datasets. These tools are meant to help scientists link microbiome features to cancers, cardiovascular disease, and chronic kidney problems.
Who could benefit from this research
Good fit: People with cancer, cardiovascular disease, or chronic kidney disease who are willing to give microbiome samples or allow their sequencing data to be shared would be the best fit for related data collection efforts.
Not a fit: Patients who do not provide samples or whose conditions are unrelated to the microbiome are unlikely to see direct benefits from this methods-focused work.
Why it matters
Potential benefit: If successful, these tools could help scientists find microbiome signals tied to cancer, heart, and kidney disease and speed development of new diagnostics or treatments.
How similar studies have performed: Other microbiome analysis tools exist, but applying phylogenomic models and energy‑landscape stability measures at large scale is relatively new and still being tested.
Where this research is happening
Philadelphia, United States
- University of Pennsylvania — Philadelphia, United States (Active)
Researchers
- Principal investigator: Lee, Hongzhe — University of Pennsylvania
- Study coordinator: Lee, Hongzhe
About this research
- This is an active NIH-funded research project — typically early-stage science, not a clinical trial accepting patient enrollment.
- Some NIH-funded labs run parallel clinical studies or seek volunteers for related work. To check, contact the principal investigator or institution listed above.
- For full project details, budget, and progress reports, visit the official NIH RePORTER page below.