Association for Biology Laboratory Education

BeanBeetleMicrobiome app: an online app for community analysis of microbiome data
 

Carolyne Huang, Anna J. Zelaya, Lawrence S. Blumer, Nicole M. Gerardo and Christopher W. Beck

Advances in Biology Laboratory Education, 2022, Volume 42

https://doi.org/10.37590/able.v42.art31

Supplemental Materials: https://doi.org/10.37590/able.v42.sup31

Abstract

With decreases in the cost of next-generation sequencing and advances in computational approaches, microbiome research has exploded. Consequently, microbiome research has become both feasible and accessible for undergraduate laboratory courses. Datasets from these research studies are ideal for introducing students to microbiology and community ecology in online classes. However, the coding skills necessary to analyze these data represent a substantial barrier to instructors and students. As a result, we developed the BeanBeetleMicrobiome app, an online app for the analysis of microbiome community data. While the app was designed for the Bean Beetle Microbiome Project, family-level taxonomy files from any microbiome project can be analyzed with the app. The app allows students to explore community ecology concepts such as species accumulation curves, alpha diversity, and beta diversity as they relate to microbial communities.

Keywords:  community ecology, species diversity, species richness, microbiome, beta diversity

Virtual ABLE (ViABLE) (2021)