Standardizing the approach to clinical-based human microbiome research: from clinical information collection to microbiome profiling and human resource utilization.

Objectives: This study presents the standardized protocols developed by the Clinical-Based Human Microbiome Research and Development Project (cHMP) in the Republic of Korea.

Methods: It addresses clinical metadata collection, specimen handling, DNA extraction, sequencing methods, and quality control measures for microbiome research.

Results: The cHMP involves collecting samples from healthy individuals and patients across various body sites, including the gastrointestinal tract, oral cavity, respiratory system, urogenital tract, and skin. These standardized procedures ensure consistent data quality through controlled specimen collection, storage, transportation, DNA extraction, and sequencing. Sequencing encompasses both amplicon and whole metagenome methods, followed by stringent quality checks. The protocols conform to international guidelines, ensuring that the data generated are both reliable and comparable across microbiome studies.

Conclusion: The cHMP underscores the importance of methodological standardization in enhancing data integrity, reproducibility, and advancing microbiome-based research with potential applications for improving human health outcomes.