Metagenomics & Microbiome
Metagenomics and Microbiome (MMRG)
Mission
Many of the Members on the MMRG have been involved in microbiome analysis for over 20 years and have a strong appreciation for the field. They are dedicated and understand the needs of this new and exciting field that continues to grow at an exponential rate.
Questions or interest in joining an ABRF research group?
Call for Members
The ABRF Microbiome and Metagenomics Research Group (MMRG) is seeking to expand its membership. The research group focuses on both general and special topics in all aspects of microbiome sciences including study design, surveys, lab methods and results, disruptive technologies, and commercial product characterization. We are seeking new members who have bandwidth to contribute to our study topic.
Please join our exciting and rewarding research team. Contact us to learn how you can join the MMRG ....
The ABRF Metagenomics and Microbiome Research Group is composed of Core lab managers, bench scientists, and bioinformaticists. The goals of the MMRG will be to establish and evaluate techniques that core laboratory operators, directors, managers, and users commonly ask. Initial studies include assembling microbial standards and to characterize shortcomings of current metagenomic techniques. this includes optimizing DNA extraction protocols, library synthesis methods for different NGS platforms and developing best approaches for bioinformatics. The development of bacterial cocktails includes working with specific vendors in the field to establish a bacterial counting platform (similar to simple low cost mammalian cell counters) that can be used for low cost, high speed bacterial cell counting as needed for both research and clinical metagenomic quality control requirements. This enumeration device will be validated against standard techniques such as flow cytometry, Microscopic, and LSC techniques. Development of a fixation technique that preserves DNA and RNA without cell leakage is also required. We intend to work very closely with the appropriate vendor of the field to help advance this technology.
Current Members
- Scott Tighe (Co-Chair) - Vermont Cancer Center
- Sridar Chittur (Co-Chair) - SUNY Albany
- Ebrahim Afshinnekoo - Weill Cornell Medical College
- Nadim Ajami - Baylor University
- Don A. Baldwin - MicroPath ID Diagnostics
- Nathan J. Bivens - University of Missouri
- Russ Carmical - UTMB - Galveston
- Christina Cartaciano - University of Michigan
- Kym Delventhal (Executive Board liaison) - HHMI Janelia
- Caryn Evilia - Idaho State University
- Stefan J. Green - University of Illinois at Chicago - DNAS Facility
- Ian Herriott - University of Alaska Fairbanks
- Jessica Hoffman – Vermont Cancer Center
- Joshua R. Hyman –University of Wisconsin - Madison
- Sarah Johnson - Georgetown University
- Samantha Joye - University of Georgia
- Kevin Knudtson - University of Iowa
- Jodie Lee (Ad hoc) - Qiagen
- Shawn Levy - HudsonAlpha Institute for Biotechnology
- Christian Lytle – Giesel School of Medicine at Dartmouth
- Christopher E. Mason - Weill Cornell Medical College
- Lisa Mattei, The CHOP Microbiome Center
- Ken McGrath - Australian Genome Research Facility
- Dev Mittar – ATCC Microbiology Systems
- Natalia G. Reyero Vinas - Mississippi State University
- Rachid Ounit – University of California, Riverside
- Ravi Ranjan - University of Massachusetts Amherst
- Matthew L. Settles - University of Idaho
- Alexander J. Spicer – Sheffield Hallam University
- Kelley Thomas - Hubbard Center for Genome Studies