Statistical modeling, inference and methodology in microbial metagenomics data analysis and computational molecular evolution

微生物宏基因组数据分析和计算分子进化的统计建模、推理和方法

• 批准号: RGPIN-2017-05108
• 负责人: Gu, Hong
• 金额: $ 1.75万
• 依托单位: Dalhousie University
• 依托单位国家: 加拿大
• 项目类别: Discovery Grants Program - Individual
• 财政年份: 2018
• 资助国家: 加拿大
• 起止时间: 2018-01-01 至 2019-12-31
• 项目状态: 已结题
• 来源: https://www.nserc-crsng.gc.ca/ase-oro/Details-Detailles_eng.asp?id=652554
• 关键词: Statistical; modeling; inference; methodology; microbial

Recent research has shown the enormous influence of the microbiome on our lives. Microbial communities play crucial roles in human health, agriculture and the environment.***Despite their undisputed importance, we know very little about how the microbes interact with each other and function together in the microbial community. The main aim of my research program is to develop statistical methods and models to understand the compositions and functions of the microbial communities and their interaction with host genome and/or environment. Microbiome data present new statistical challenges, thus new statistical methods will be needed. These statistical methods will also advance the field of statistics, leading to further potential applications outside of microbiome research. The direct results of the proposed research will provide tools for analyzing the microbiome data. This will have benefits in multiple areas.******On the human health front, knowledge about how the microbiome changes are related to different disease status will have the immediate clinical benefit on diagnostics and choices of treatment regime. For example, understanding the causes of IBD and the response of the microbiome to various treatments could lead to improved treatments in future, including new microbial treatments. There have already been successful applications of microbial treatments for some conditions, such as faecal transplants for treating C. Difficile and L. Plantarum probiotic treatments for preventing neonatal sepsis. Further research will improve these treatments and lead to new treatments.***IBD is an emerging health problem associated with high morbidity and health care costs. IBD affects about 1 in 150 Canadians (among the highest rates in the world) with the estimated economic burden to Canadians as $2.8 billion per year. ******Another major health-related area of interest is obesity. Research has indicated a link between the gut microbiome and obesity, but little is known about the connection. The methods in my proposed research will help to shed light on the processes linking obesity and the microbiome, leading to preventative measures and treatment for obesity-related health conditions.******On the environmental side, my collaboration with world renowned scientist, Julie Laroche, allows me to work on ocean microbiome data. The microbiome plays a critical role in the ocean ecosystem, and changes to the microbiome can have repercussions on the higher trophic levels. The effects of pollution and climate change on the ocean microbiome are therefore of great concern. I expect many of the conclusions and methods from this research project will also apply to other environmental microbiome samples. ******

最近的研究表明，微生物组对我们生活的巨大影响。微生物群落在人类健康，农业和环境中起着至关重要的作用。我的研究计划的主要目的是开发统计方法和模型，以了解微生物群落的组成和功能及其与宿主基因组和/或环境的相互作用。微生物组数据提出了新的统计挑战，因此需要新的统计方法。这些统计方法还将推进统计领域，从而导致微生物组研究以外的进一步潜在应用。拟议研究的直接结果将提供分析微生物组数据的工具。这将在多个领域具有好处。******在人类健康方面，了解微生物组变化如何与不同的疾病状况相关的知识将在诊断和治疗方案的选择上具有直接的临床益处。例如，了解IBD的原因以及微生物组对各种疗法的反应可能会导致将来改善治疗方法，包括新的微生物治疗。在某些情况下，微生物治疗已经成功地应用了，例如用于治疗艰难梭菌和植物乳杆菌益生菌治疗的粪便移植，以预防新生儿败血症。进一步的研究将改善这些治疗方法并导致新的治疗方法。*** IBD是与高发病率和医疗保健成本相关的新兴健康问题。 IBD影响了150名加拿大人中约有1个（是世界上最高的税率之一），估计加拿大人的经济负担为每年28亿加元。 ******肥胖是另一个与健康相关的主要领域。研究表明，肠道微生物组和肥胖症之间存在联系，但对这种联系知之甚少。我提出的研究中的方法将有助于阐明与肥胖和微生物组联系的过程，从而为与肥胖相关的健康状况提供了预防措施和治疗。微生物组在海洋生态系统中起着至关重要的作用，而微生物组的变化可能会对较高的营养水平产生影响。因此，污染和气候变化对海洋微生物组的影响令人关注。我预计该研究项目的许多结论和方法也将适用于其他环境微生物组样本。 ******