The MMF provides sample-processing services from DNA extraction and library preparation and sequencing to sequence processing and data analysis. Microbial community data can be analyzed in a variety of ways, depending on the individual needs of the project. Analysis tools are available to classify bacterial sequences down to the genus level (and to the species level when possible) to determine both community membership and structure. Included in the analysis are tools for graphic visualization of the bacterial composition of individual samples and for visualizing differences between samples. The lab supports investigators pursuing both basic and clinical research interests. Ongoing studies are characterizing changes in the intestinal microbiota of patients undergoing cancer treatment and in experimental mice.