Most microbiome studies measure relative abundance of the various microorganisms in a sample. This study demonstrates the feasibility of large-scale measurements of absolute microbial concentrations. Moreover, it demonstrates how sample handling and storage methods can alter microbial measurements, potentially introducing bias in conclusions drawn about microbiome–host relationships.
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This is a summary of: Maghini, D. G. et al. Quantifying bias introduced by sample collection in relative and absolute microbiome measurements. Nat. Biotechnol. https://doi.org/10.1038/s41587-023-01754-3 (2023).
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Sampling techniques and microbial concentration measurements influence the results of microbiome studies. Nat Biotechnol 42, 194–195 (2024). https://doi.org/10.1038/s41587-023-01804-w
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DOI: https://doi.org/10.1038/s41587-023-01804-w
