The group of SU Xiaoquan at CAS QIBEBT has established a “microbiome search engine” which is based on two indices: a microbiome novelty score MNS evaluates the compositional uniqueness of a microbiome sample at the time of its birth, whereas a microbiome attention score MAS quantifies the scientific attention devoted to the microbiome by counting the number of close neighbors of the microbiome. A microbiome focus index MFI, which is derived from MNS and MAS, then measures the impact and contribution of a microbiome sample to explorations for novel microbiomes.  The team hopes to thus identify “sleeping beauty” microbiomes that are still very novel in structure at present quantifies the number of close neighbors in the microbiome.

CAS news release, November 14, 2018