tag:blogger.com,1999:blog-10781944.post1789662040228553381..comments2024-03-28T00:36:36.460-07:00Comments on The Tree of Life: Notes from 2007 for a blog post I should have written: How many microbial cells in humans?Jonathan Eisenhttp://www.blogger.com/profile/07953790938128734305noreply@blogger.comBlogger8125tag:blogger.com,1999:blog-10781944.post-64008413534286860202014-09-26T00:17:41.375-07:002014-09-26T00:17:41.375-07:00I don't think it is completely about semantics...I don't think it is completely about semantics. I think the sum total genetic potential in the microbiome vs. the host is an interesting question. But I hate it when numbers are kind of made up or misleading. In this case, if we really want to compare genetic potential then the following two genes: 1 RecA from E. coli and 1 RecA from Salmonella should not count the same as these two: 1 RecA from E. coli and 1 Photolyase from Salmonella. But in the methods being used they sometimes do.. Jonathan Eisenhttps://www.blogger.com/profile/07953790938128734305noreply@blogger.comtag:blogger.com,1999:blog-10781944.post-15475527030832867832014-09-25T15:04:31.705-07:002014-09-25T15:04:31.705-07:00I should add - I have used these numbers in talks ...I should add - I have used these numbers in talks because they sounded impressive... I'm rather chagrined by that and not trying to get on a high horse about it. Anonymoushttps://www.blogger.com/profile/11802792639433082775noreply@blogger.comtag:blogger.com,1999:blog-10781944.post-39751846977018915182014-09-25T15:02:06.709-07:002014-09-25T15:02:06.709-07:00But then would we have to eliminate redundant/dupl...But then would we have to eliminate redundant/duplicate genes in human genome as well? At some point it's going to come down to semantics. So maybe my problem is that I don't even know what the point of citing one of these numbers is - what's the point that it's trying to make? That bacteria are important because there are a lot of them?Anonymoushttps://www.blogger.com/profile/11802792639433082775noreply@blogger.comtag:blogger.com,1999:blog-10781944.post-33412807064952962492014-09-24T10:51:54.266-07:002014-09-24T10:51:54.266-07:00Well we have some data on that but I think the ana...Well we have some data on that but I think the analysis is generally fundamentally flawed ... Most of the analysis I have seen would count a RecA gene in bacteria1 and being different than a RecA gene in bacteria 2. That seems to be a bad idea. I think protein family #s would be more useful ...Jonathan Eisenhttps://www.blogger.com/profile/07953790938128734305noreply@blogger.comtag:blogger.com,1999:blog-10781944.post-42963582320992720412014-09-24T10:46:02.101-07:002014-09-24T10:46:02.101-07:00Does this go for the "microbial genes 100:1&q...Does this go for the "microbial genes 100:1" truism as well? Seems like we might have a bit more data on that front.Anonymoushttps://www.blogger.com/profile/11802792639433082775noreply@blogger.comtag:blogger.com,1999:blog-10781944.post-63224300430679367092014-09-23T15:12:31.515-07:002014-09-23T15:12:31.515-07:00And I note that Judah Rosner, author of the letter...And I note that Judah Rosner, author of the letter to Microbe mentioned in the Boston Globe article, commented on my post at the time...Neilhttps://www.blogger.com/profile/14642902803329530119noreply@blogger.comtag:blogger.com,1999:blog-10781944.post-39078545750687793022014-09-21T09:01:41.358-07:002014-09-21T09:01:41.358-07:00Nice Neil ... Nice Neil ... Jonathan Eisenhttps://www.blogger.com/profile/07953790938128734305noreply@blogger.comtag:blogger.com,1999:blog-10781944.post-65445572607649317022014-09-21T03:15:56.826-07:002014-09-21T03:15:56.826-07:00I've often wondered about that "fact"...I've often wondered about that "fact" too. Here's as far as I got last year: http://nsaunders.wordpress.com/2013/10/31/were-only-10-human-according-to-who/Neilhttps://www.blogger.com/profile/14642902803329530119noreply@blogger.com