Visualize metagenomic data

We are reaching out to hear from others what tools they are using to assign and visualize gene functions in environmental samples of microbial communities.

Our dataset is simple. We did a metagenomic analysis of two pools (samples/sites). First, we co-assembled the whole metagenome for each pool. Then, we used anvi’o to bin individual bacterial and archaeal genomes within the pools. These genomes (bins) were then fed into RAST. This online software gives you a table of known genes for each bin. At the moment we have an array of tables with known microbial genes for each pool that we would like to visualize/summarize in an aesthetically pleasing way. We tried to use summary statistics in MG-RAST, but the upload failed eight times in a row (including several attempts of uploading individual bins as fasta files, co-assembled metagenomes as fasta files, and sequence reads before assembly as fastq files). The upload failures were identified as cashing problems or internal errors.

We went back to using anvi’o using NCBI COG assignments, following their infant gut pangenome tutorial (http://merenlab.org/tutorials/infant-gut/) which in the end gives you a similar output to RAST in tabular format.

What software are people using out there to compare, assign and visualize gene functions across samples and across bins? Can these tabular outputs be used as inputs for any software producing visually pleasing figures?

(The foto is taken from http://www.airpano.com/360Degree-VirtualTour.php?3D=kamchatka-uzon)