Table 1.

Key challenges and recommendations from the NHLBI Microbiome Workshop

Challenges	Recommendations
The need to examine large, well-characterized cohorts	Procedural details; sample types obtained; sample processing
Evaluate clinical and geographic diversity	Gut–lung axis and role in respiratory disease
Compare upper and lower respiratory samples	Functional properties of the lung microbiome (omics approaches)
Correlate longitudinal samples with clinical data	Characterization of fungal and viral microbiota; interkingdom microbiome and host interactions
Consider influence of other microbiota on lung, including the gut	Use/development of relevant animal or other models to understand mechanisms of human microbiome observations
Compare divergent methodology and the use of variable 16S regions	Noninvasive biomarkers of lung microbiota and microbial burden; noninvasive imaging of lung microbiota
Achieve consistent presentation of data and statistical analysis	Integration of environmental, clinical, and -omics data