How do scientists make sense of the trillions of microbes living in our bodies and the environment? University of Maryland researchers Mihai Pop and Marcus Fedarko explored that question in a Sept. 22 Reddit “Ask Me Anything” discussion.
Pop, an MPower Professor of computer science, and Fedarko, a postdoctoral associate in his lab, develop computational tools to help researchers piece together microbial genomes and understand complex microbial communities. Their work helps decode a microscopic world with far-reaching implications for human health and the environment.
The discussion focused on bioinformatics and metagenomics—fields that use computational methods to analyze biological data and investigate the many microorganisms that share our world.