Robert C. Edgar

TL;DR: MUSCLE is a new computer program for creating multiple alignments of protein sequences that includes fast distance estimation using kmer counting, progressive alignment using a new profile function the authors call the log-expectation score, and refinement using tree-dependent restricted partitioning.

TL;DR: UCLUST is a new clustering method that exploits USEARCH to assign sequences to clusters and offers several advantages over the widely used program CD-HIT, including higher speed, lower memory use, improved sensitivity, clustering at lower identities and classification of much larger datasets.

TL;DR: UCHIME has better sensitivity than ChimeraSlayer (previously the most sensitive database method), especially with short, noisy sequences, and in testing on artificial bacterial communities with known composition, UCHIME de novo sensitivity is shown to be comparable to Perseus.

TL;DR: The UPARSE pipeline reports operational taxonomic unit (OTU) sequences with ≤1% incorrect bases in artificial microbial community tests, compared with >3% correct bases commonly reported by other methods.

TL;DR: The Human Microbiome Project Consortium reported the first results of their analysis of microbial communities from distinct, clinically relevant body habitats in a human cohort; the insights into the microbial communities of a healthy population lay foundations for future exploration of the epidemiology, ecology and translational applications of the human microbiome as discussed by the authors.