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Pre-print: Ultra-sensitive metaproteomics (uMetaP) redefines the dark field of metaproteome, enables single-bacterium resolution, and discovers hidden functions in the gut microbiome

Recent work published by Xian et al. in bioRxiv out of the Gomez-Varela lab presents uMetaP, an ultra-sensitive metaproteomic workflow that leverages cutting-edge technologies for unprecedented sensitivity in exploring complex microbiomes.

Using the mouse gut microbiome as a model, uMetaP was able to quantify 47,925 protein groups and 223 KEGG pathways for both the host and its microbiome. uMetaP detected 220 microbial species, with excellent reproducibility and quantitative precision using low sample amounts (25ng of peptides). As a demonstration of the power of this new technique, this number of identified species is comparable to the average reached by full-length 16S rRNA.

These remarkable metrics were achieved by combining uMetaP with the Aurora Ultimate CSI 25×75 C18 UHPLC column and Bruker timsTOF Ultra mass spectrometer.

This study highlights the utility of using uMetaP for a broad range of applications including biotech, therapeutic discovery and identification of novel biology, with depth of coverage, sensitivity and reproducibility that allows for complementarity with genomic approaches for investigating microbial ecosystems.


Publication
BioRxiv

Authors

Feng Xian; Malena Brenek; Christoph Krisp; Ranjith Kumar Ravi Kumar; Manuela Schmidt; David Gómez-Varela

Title

Ultra-sensitive metaproteomics (uMetaP) redefines the dark field of metaproteome, enables single-bacterium resolution, and discovers hidden functions in the gut microbiome