Molecular Analysis of the Microbiome in Colorectal Cancer.

The human gut microbiota plays a major role in the development of colorectal cancer (CRC). Many studies have attempted to define links between microbiota residents, their function and disease development. We now have incredible molecular tools to allow us to study the gut microbiome however in order to make best use of these sophisticated approaches we need to ensure that samples are collected and processed using standardized and reproducible protocols. Here we provide an overview of molecular analysis methods and describe protocols for collecting and processing clinical samples for subsequent microbiome analysis.