Research:

Microbes profoundly shape our planet and all life on earth.  While a few infamous microbes cause serious diseases, many are either benign or beneficial to humans. In humans they function as complex microbial communities enabling essential life processes from the digestion of food to fighting disease to maintaining a breathable atmosphere.  Microbes are essential to sustaining life on earth. 

Microbiomics is the emerging field of science which is applying the new genomic analysis tools of DNA sequencing of single organisms to the genomic analysis of entire communities of microbes without having to first isolate and culture individual microbial species.  This new ability to study in situ microbial communities represents a fundamental shift in microbiology with revolutionary implications for science and mankind.   The science of microbiomics is creating new knowledge with respect to complex human health, environment, climate, bioenergy, agricultural, and environmental challenges of today that will certainly lead to the development of many innovative and beneficial industrial, food, energy, and health products.

MetaBiomics™ LLC is a pioneer in human and environmental microbiome research and development specializing in functional microbiomics and systems biology applied to advances in microbial DNA sequencing methods, clinical research, and environmental microbiology.   Our patent pending microbial DNA analysis platforms and diagnostic technology provide the means to rapidly explore the human and environmental microbiome and drive discovery of new biomarkers, diagnostic, and therapeutic solutions in every field of metagenomic research and biotechnology.

• Human Health
  Every human body is home to trillions of microorganisms that function to extract nutrients, manufacture essential vitamins and amino acids, detoxify harmful chemicals, and defend us against pathogens.  The vast majority of these microbes inhabit the gastrointestinal system where dysbiosis can lead to serious disorders and diseases, such as obesity, inflammatory bowel disease, alcoholic liver disease, colon cancer, and many other polymicrobial and immunologically involved diseases.


• Bioenergy
  Moving beyond ethanol production from food crops, the next generation of microbes and enzymes will be used to convert cellulosic biomass from agricultural wastes and alternative crops like switchgrass to biofuels.  Bacteria employed by anaerobic digestion of animal and human wastes are already producing methane and other gasses for biofuels and electric cogeneration to power and heat rural communities.  Other microbes can produce a variety of potential bioenergy sources including hydrogen, methane, and butanol.


• BioCulture
  Agriculture and aquaculture already depend on a large microbial workforce.  New knowledge of the beneficial microbes associated with domestic plants and animals will contribute to improved methods for detecting diseases in crops, livestock, and food products and take advantage of natural alliances among microbes, plants, and animals.  Healthy microbial communities are critical to manufacturing the nutrients, convert atmospheric nitrogen into ammonia, nitrogen fixation, and recycling nutrients from decaying plants and animals.  Microbial communities may also function to suppress plant disease by  forming suppressive soil communities that can be enormously beneficial to agriculture.


• Environment
  Bacteria help maintain the chemical balance of Earth's atmosphere through bacterial photosynthesis and the carbon cycles which play a crucial role in maintaining the habitability of the entire planet.  Through photosynthesis, plants and certain bacteria "fix" carbon from the atmosphere, releasing oxygen, and mitigating some of the impacts of greenhouse gases that are accelerating climate change. Bacteria have also been put to work clearing up environmental pollution through biodegradation of toxic chemicals in soils, groundwater, and rivers including oil spill remediation. The health and diversity of microbial communities can be used to measure and monitor the health of the planet.