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Peer Review Report For: Facilitating accessible, rapid, and appropriate processing of ancient metagenomic data with AMDirT [version 2; peer review: 1 approved, 3 approved with reservations]

Abstract

Background Access to sample-level metadata is important when selecting public metagenomic sequencing datasets for reuse in new biological analyses. The Standards, Precautions, and Advances in Ancient Metagenomics community (SPAAM, https://spaam-community.org) has previously published AncientMetagenomeDir, a collection of curated and standardised sample metadata tables for metagenomic and microbial genome datasets generated from ancient samples. However, while sample-level information is useful for identifying relevant samples for inclusion in new projects, Next Generation Sequencing (NGS) library construction and sequencing metadata are also essential for appropriately reprocessing ancient metagenomic data. Currently, recovering information for downloading and preparing such data is difficult when laboratory and bioinformatic metadata is heterogeneously recorded in prose-based publications. Methods Through a series of community-based hackathon events, AncientMetagenomeDir was updated to provide standardised library-level metadata of existing and new ancient metagenomic samples. In tandem, the companion tool 'AMDirT' was developed to facilitate rapid data filtering and downloading of ancient metagenomic data, as well as improving automated metadata curation and validation for AncientMetagenomeDir. Results AncientMetagenomeDir was extended to include standardised metadata of over 6000 ancient metagenomic libraries. The companion tool 'AMDirT' provides both graphical- and command-line interface based access to such metadata for users from a wide range of computational backgrounds. We also report on errors with metadata reporting that appear to commonly occur during data upload and provide suggestions on how to improve the quality of data sharing by the community. Conclusions Together, both standardised metadata reporting and tooling will help towards easier incorporation and reuse of public ancient metagenomic datasets into future analyses.

Authors 40

  1. Maxime Borry corresponding

    Max Planck Institute for Evolutionary Anthropology · Leibniz-Institut für Naturstoff-Forschung und Infektionsbiologie e. V. - Hans-Knöll-Institut (HKI)

    Affiliation as printed

    Cluster of Excellence "Balance of the Microverse", Leibniz Institute for Natural Product Research and Infection Biology Hans Knöll Institute, Adolf-Reichwein-Straße 23, Jena, Thuringia, 07745

    Department of Archaeogenetics, Max Planck Institute for Evolutionary Anthropology, Deutscher Pl. 6, Leipzig, Saxony, 04103

  2. Uppsala University

    Affiliation as printed

    Department of Animal Zoology, Uppsala Universitet, Norbyvägen 18D, Uppsala, 752 36

  3. Max Planck Institute for Evolutionary Anthropology

    Affiliation as printed

    Department of Archaeogenetics, Max Planck Institute for Evolutionary Anthropology, Deutscher Pl. 6, Leipzig, Saxony, 04103

  4. Max Planck Institute for Evolutionary Anthropology · Leibniz-Institut für Naturstoff-Forschung und Infektionsbiologie e. V. - Hans-Knöll-Institut (HKI)

    Affiliation as printed

    Associated Research Group of Archaeogenetics, Leibniz Institute for Natural Product Research and Infection Biology Hans Knöll Institute, Adolf-Reichwein-Straße 23, Jena, Thuringia, 07745

    Cluster of Excellence "Balance of the Microverse", Leibniz Institute for Natural Product Research and Infection Biology Hans Knöll Institute, Adolf-Reichwein-Straße 23, Jena, Thuringia, 07745

    Department of Archaeogenetics, Max Planck Institute for Evolutionary Anthropology, Deutscher Pl. 6, Leipzig, Saxony, 04103

  5. Leibniz-Institut für Naturstoff-Forschung und Infektionsbiologie e. V. - Hans-Knöll-Institut (HKI)

    Affiliation as printed

    Department of Paleobiotechnology, Leibniz Institute for Natural Product Research and Infection Biology Hans Knöll Institute, Adolf-Reichwein-Straße 23, Jena, Thuringia, 07745

  6. University of Padua

    Affiliation as printed

    Department of Comparative Biomedicine and Food Science, Universita degli Studi di Padova, Viale dell'Università 16, Legnaro, Padova, 350250

  7. University of Copenhagen · University of York

    Affiliation as printed

    BioArCh, Department of Archaeology, University of York, York, England, YO10 5DD

    Section for Molecular Ecology and Evolution, Globe Institute, Faculty of Health and Medical Sciences, Københavns Universitet, Øster Farimagsgade 5, Copenhagen K, 1353

  8. Max Planck Institute for Evolutionary Anthropology · Max Planck Institute of Geoanthropology

    Affiliation as printed

    Department of Archaeogenetics, Max Planck Institute for Evolutionary Anthropology, Deutscher Pl. 6, Leipzig, Saxony, 04103

    Transmission, Infection, Diversification and Evolution Group, Max Planck Institute for Geoanthropology, Kahlaische Str. 10, Jena, Thuringia, 07745

  9. University of Copenhagen

    Affiliation as printed

    Section for Hologenomics, Globe Institute, Faculty of Health and Medical Sciences, Københavns Universitet, Oester Voldgade 44747, Copenhagen K, 1350

  10. Leiden University

    Affiliation as printed

    Department of Archaeological Sciences, Universiteit Leiden, Einsteinweg 2, Leiden, 2333 CC

  11. Max Planck Institute for Evolutionary Anthropology · Friedrich Schiller University Jena

    Affiliation as printed

    Department of Archaeogenetics, Max Planck Institute for Evolutionary Anthropology, Deutscher Pl. 6, Leipzig, Saxony, 04103

    Institute of Ecology and Evolution, Friedrich-Schiller-Universität Jena, Jena, Thuringia, 07743

  12. Centre National de la Recherche Scientifique · Institut Pasteur · Université Paris Cité · Génomique évolutive, modélisation et santé

    Affiliation as printed

    Microbial Paleogenomics Unit, Institut Pasteur, Université Paris Cité, CNRS UMR 2000, Rue du Docteur Roux 25-28, Paris, Île-de-France, F-75015

  13. Max Planck - Harvard Research Center for the Archaeoscience of the Ancient Mediterranean · Max Planck Institute for Evolutionary Anthropology

    Affiliation as printed

    Department of Archaeogenetics, Max Planck Institute for Evolutionary Anthropology, Deutscher Pl. 6, Leipzig, Saxony, 04103

    Max Planck-Harvard Research Center for the Archaeoscience of the Ancient Mediterranean (MHAAM), Max Planck Institute for Evolutionary Anthropology, Deutscher Pl. 6, Leipzig, Saxony, 04103

  14. Harvard University

    Affiliation as printed

    Department of Organismic and Evolutionary Biology, Harvard University, 26 Oxford St., Cambridge, Massachusetts, 02138

  15. Max Planck Institute for Infection Biology

    Affiliation as printed

    Max Planck Institute for Infection Biology, Virchowweg 12, Berlin, Berlin, 10117

  16. Max Planck Institute for Evolutionary Anthropology

    Affiliation as printed

    Department of Archaeogenetics, Max Planck Institute for Evolutionary Anthropology, Deutscher Pl. 6, Leipzig, Saxony, 04103

  17. Ollscoil na Gaillimhe – University of Galway · Trinity College Dublin

    Affiliation as printed

    SFI Centre for Research Training in Genomics Data Science, University of Galway, Galway, H91 TK33

    Smurfit Institute of Genetics, The University of Dublin Trinity College, Dublin, Leinster, D02 VF25

  18. Leibniz-Institut für Naturstoff-Forschung und Infektionsbiologie e. V. - Hans-Knöll-Institut (HKI)

    Affiliation as printed

    Department of Paleobiotechnology, Leibniz Institute for Natural Product Research and Infection Biology Hans Knöll Institute, Adolf-Reichwein-Straße 23, Jena, Thuringia, 07745

  19. Universidad de La Laguna

    Affiliation as printed

    Department of Biochemistry, Microbiology, Cell Biology and Genetics, Universidad de La Laguna, San Cristóbal de La Laguna, Santa Cruz de Tenerife, 38200

  20. Centre National de la Recherche Scientifique · Institut Pasteur · Université Paris Cité · Génomique évolutive, modélisation et santé

    Affiliation as printed

    Bioinformatics and Biostatistics Hub, Institut Pasteur, Université Paris Cité, Rue du Docteur Roux 25-28, Paris, Île-de-France, F-75015

    Microbial Paleogenomics Unit, Institut Pasteur, Université Paris Cité, CNRS UMR 2000, Rue du Docteur Roux 25-28, Paris, Île-de-France, F-75015

  21. Utrecht University · Wageningen University & Research

    Affiliation as printed

    Animal Ecology, Wageningen Environmental Research, P.O box 47, Wageningen, Gelderland, 6700 AA

    Department of History and Art History, Universiteit Utrecht, Drift 6, Utrecht, Utrecht, 3512 BS

  22. Durham University · Arizona State University

    Affiliation as printed

    Center for Bioarchaeological Research, Arizona State University, Candy Mall, Tempe, Arizona, 85281

    Department of Archaeology, Durham University, South Road, Durham, County Durham, England, DH1 3LE

  23. Trinity College Dublin

    Affiliation as printed

    Smurfit Institute of Genetics, The University of Dublin Trinity College, Dublin, Leinster, D02 VF25

  24. Centre National de la Recherche Scientifique · Institut Pasteur · Université Paris Cité · Génomique évolutive, modélisation et santé

    Affiliation as printed

    Microbial Paleogenomics Unit, Institut Pasteur, Université Paris Cité, CNRS UMR 2000, Rue du Docteur Roux 25-28, Paris, Île-de-France, F-75015

  25. University of Edinburgh

    Affiliation as printed

    Institute of Ecology and Evolution, School of Biological Sciences, The University of Edinburgh, Charlotte Auerbach Road, Edinburgh, Scotland, EH9 3FL

  26. Harvard University · Max Planck - Harvard Research Center for the Archaeoscience of the Ancient Mediterranean · Max Planck Institute for Evolutionary Anthropology

    Affiliation as printed

    Department of Archaeogenetics, Max Planck Institute for Evolutionary Anthropology, Deutscher Pl. 6, Leipzig, Saxony, 04103

    Department of Human Evolutionary Biology, Harvard University, Divinity Avenue 11, Cambridge, Massachusetts, 02138

    Max Planck-Harvard Research Center for the Archaeoscience of the Ancient Mediterranean (MHAAM), Max Planck Institute for Evolutionary Anthropology, Deutscher Pl. 6, Leipzig, Saxony, 04103

  27. University of Otago

    Affiliation as printed

    Department of Anatomy, University of Otago, 270 Great King St, Dunedin, Otago, 9016

  28. Universidad Nacional Autónoma de México

    Affiliation as printed

    Center for Genomic Sciences (CCG), Universidad Nacional Autonoma de Mexico, Cuernavaca, Morelos, 62210

    International Laboratory for Human Genome Research (LIIGH), Universidad Nacional Autonoma de Mexico, La Mesa 3001, Juriquilla, Queretaro, 76230

  29. Eurac Research · University of Trento

    Affiliation as printed

    Centre for Integrative Biology (CIBIO), Universita degli Studi di Trento, Via Sommarive 9, Povo, Trentino, 38123

    Institute for Mummy Studies, Eurac Research, Drususallee 1, Bolzano/Bozen, Autonome Provinz Bozen, 39100

  30. Tel Aviv University

    Affiliation as printed

    Department of Anatomy and Anthropology and Department of Human Molecular Genetics and Biochemistry, Faculty of Medicine, Tel Aviv University, Ramat Aviv, Tel Aviv-Yafo, 69978

  31. Lund University · Science for Life Laboratory · National Bioinformatics Infrastructure Sweden

    Affiliation as printed

    Department of Biology, Lunds Universitet, Sölvegatan 35, Lund, 223 62

    National Bioinformatics Infrastructure Sweden, Science for Life Laboratory, Tomtebodavägen 23, Stockholm, 17165

  32. The University of Texas at Austin

    Affiliation as printed

    Department of Integrative Biology, The University of Texas at Austin, Speedway 2415, Austin, Texas, 78712

  33. Centre National de la Recherche Scientifique · Université Toulouse III - Paul Sabatier · Centre d'Anthropobiologie et de Génomique de Toulouse

    Affiliation as printed

    Center for Anthropobiology and Genomics of Toulouse, CNRS/Universite Toulouse III Paul Sabatier, Allées Jules Guesde 37, Toulouse, Occitanie, 31000

    Instituto Nacional de Antropología y Pensamiento Latinoamericano, 3 de Febrero 1370 (1426), Ciudad Autónoma de Buenos Aires, C1426BJN CABA

  34. Adam Mickiewicz University in Poznań

    Affiliation as printed

    Department of Computational Biology, Adam Mickiewicz University, Poznań, Uniwersytetu Poznanskiego 6, Poznań, Wielkopolska, 61-614

  35. University of Copenhagen

    Affiliation as printed

    Center for Evolutionary Hologenomics, Globe Institute, Københavns Universitet, ester Voldgade 44747, Copenhagen, Copenhagen K, 1350

  36. Queensland University of Technology

    Affiliation as printed

    Defence Genomics, Centre for Genomics and Personalised Health, Queensland University of Technology, Musk Ave 60, Kelvin Grove, Queensland, 4059

  37. University of Chicago

    Affiliation as printed

    Department of Human Genetics, The University of Chicago, E. 58th St. 920, Chicago, Illinois, 60637

  38. Tel Aviv University

    Affiliation as printed

    Department of Anatomy and Anthropology and Department of Human Molecular Genetics and Biochemistry, Faculty of Medicine, Tel Aviv University, Ramat Aviv, Tel Aviv-Yafo, 69978

  39. Harvard University · Max Planck Institute for Evolutionary Anthropology · Leibniz-Institut für Naturstoff-Forschung und Infektionsbiologie e. V. - Hans-Knöll-Institut (HKI) · Friedrich Schiller University Jena

    Affiliation as printed

    Associated Research Group of Archaeogenetics, Leibniz Institute for Natural Product Research and Infection Biology Hans Knöll Institute, Adolf-Reichwein-Straße 23, Jena, Thuringia, 07745

    Department of Anthropology, Harvard University, Divinity Avenue 11, Cambridge, Massachusetts, 02138

    Department of Archaeogenetics, Max Planck Institute for Evolutionary Anthropology, Deutscher Pl. 6, Leipzig, Saxony, 04103

    Faculty of Biological Sciences, Institute of Microbiology, Friedrich-Schiller-Universität Jena, Neugasse 25, Jena, Thuringia, 07743

  40. Max Planck Institute for Evolutionary Anthropology · Leibniz-Institut für Naturstoff-Forschung und Infektionsbiologie e. V. - Hans-Knöll-Institut (HKI)

    Affiliation as printed

    Associated Research Group of Archaeogenetics, Leibniz Institute for Natural Product Research and Infection Biology Hans Knöll Institute, Adolf-Reichwein-Straße 23, Jena, Thuringia, 07745

    Department of Archaeogenetics, Max Planck Institute for Evolutionary Anthropology, Deutscher Pl. 6, Leipzig, Saxony, 04103

    Department of Paleobiotechnology, Leibniz Institute for Natural Product Research and Infection Biology Hans Knöll Institute, Adolf-Reichwein-Straße 23, Jena, Thuringia, 07745

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