Life science
Life science
The inner and outer surfaces of the human body are home to thousands of microorganisms including bacteria, fungi and virus, a.k.a. our microbiota. Evidence is growing for the importance of the human microbiota in the clinic, both for numerous common diseases, and as a factor in the inter-individual variation in drug response, digestion of food and regulation of the immune system
As our understanding of the role and composition of the microbiota increases, we begin to appreciate the potential of actively considering and influencing this ‘forgotten organ’ in a healthcare setting. Large clinical research units and excellence clusters focusing on the microbiome and its potential role in complex disorders is being established and extensively funded both nationally and internationally.
Results emerging from the large efforts are providing insight into both disease pathophysiology of diseases such as inflammatory bowl disease, sclerotic disorders of liver and bile ducts and metabolic disorders such as diabetes. The potential role of the microbiome as a mediator of disease progression is highlighting the microbiome as a potential taget for intervention.
The microbiota is a complex entity and its role is tightly associated with this complexity. At Biomcare we therefore believe it is essential to work with ‘the real deal’ – with samples and methods that capture as much of the complexity as possible.
We focus on a sequencing-based solutions to profile the microbiome in a complex sample, and provide custom data processing and statistical analysis to ensure that all information available in these complex datasets is explored and the valuable information extracted and presented for easy usage and further application.
Methods for analyzing the host associated microbiome
We provide sequencing and data analysis for most sample types used to study animal health, including both samples from livestock, free living and model organisms.
Our services for animal sciences:
Laboratory
- DNA extraction
- qPCR and spike-in for total abundance calculations
- amplicon sequencing (metabarcoding)
- shotgun metagenomic sequencing
- metatranscriptomics
Data analysis
- Bioinformatics including quality control and microbiome profiling
- Custom statistical analysis
See details of the different solutions under the menu “Services”.
At the Department of Clinical Medicine, Aarhus University, we are completing a multi-modal study on the longitudinal effects of deep brain stimulation on brain synaptic changes in a minipig model of Parkinson's disease.
In parallel, we collected fecal samples from the minipigs to determine if the induction of the Parkinson’s disease model or the brain stimulation therapy contributed to changes in microbiome diversity. We relied heavily on the experience of Louise at Biomcare for help and advice on setting up the project and storing the samples. After the rapid analysis at Biomcare, Louise provided extensive data analysis and insightful interpretation.
She was clear and helpful and also provided a re-analysis of the data, taking different factors into account. We are looking forward to progressing further with this project and to working with Louise again in the future.
Associate Professor, Department of Clinical Medicine Aarhus University
Products & Services
Shotgun metagenomic sequencing
Bacteria 16s rDNA sequencing
Fungi ITS sequencing
Data processing and microbiome profiling
Microbiome biomarker discovery
Custom biostatistical analysis
Microbiome studies require custom biostatistical solutions to harvest the full value and information available in complex microbiome datasets. One never fits all at BIOMCARE.