From genomics to metagenomics

► Data analysis is the key limiting factor in metagenomic studies. ► Bioinformatics tools created to analyze genomic data are not necessarily suitable for metagenomic data. ► Tools should cater to the needs of the scientist of the field (metagenomics = microbial ecologists). ► Trend in metagenomics analysis is toward reducing computational costs through improved algorithms and through analysis strategies. ► Data sharing and interoperability between tools are critical, since computation for metagenomic datasets is very high.