Introducing our next generation human microbiome profiler: CHAMP™

CHAMP™ is built from over 400,000 metagenome-assembled genomes (MAGs), created using a collection of more than 30,000 microbiome samples from individuals across the world. These samples were collected from 9 different human body sites including but not limited to: gut (stool and small intestine), vagina, skin and mouth. From this extensive human microbiome data collection, we have identified almost 7000 bacteria, archaea, and eukaryote species, including many newly discovered species.

CHAMP™ promises a more accurate future for human microbiome research with superior:

• Sensitivity: Detects low abundant and rare species in samples.
• Specificity: Exclusively detects species actually present in samples.
• Abundance accuracy: Provides correct abundance estimations.
• Taxonomic annotation: Microorganisms correctly annotated at species resolution.

When benchmarked using both CAMI and NIBSC, CHAMP™ demonstrated best-in-class performance compared to the best and most widely used profiling pipelines.

Compared to MetaPhlAn4, CHAMP™ showed 16% greater sensitivity (recall) across different human body sites and an astounding 400 times lower false signal in the NIBSC mock community benchmark compared to state-of-the-art profilers (MetaPhlAn4, Centrifuge, Kraken, and Bracken). This means that when CHAMP™ detects something, you can trust it’s there.

This week we are presenting CHAMP™ at the EMBO | EMBL Human Microbiome Symposium 2023 in Heidelberg. Please connect with our colleagues Bjørn, Helle, Aron, Sara, or Jonathan if you are on site and would like additional information or download the poster.

CHAMP™ is now included as part of all our end-to-end shotgun metagenomics services for investigating the human microbiome, or as a standalone bioinformatics service for profiling or re-profiling of shotgun sequencing data.