Insights into microbiome research 4: The computational analysis

The computational analysis of microbiome samples is a highly specialized task, requiring powerful hardware and deep know-how not only in informatics and statistics but also in ecology and taxonomy. Different approaches must be followed based on the sequencing method (16S or shotgun) and while these can provide partially overlapping information, they are conceptually distinct. Understanding their differences and similarities can be useful in the interpretation of the results of microbiome studies