Data-independent acquisition mass spectrometry enables reproducible characterization of microbiota function

Metaproteomics is an emerging research area which aims to reveal the functionality of microbial communities – unlike the increasingly popular metagenomics providing insights only on the functional potential. So far, the common approach in metaproteomics has been data-dependent acquisition mass spectrometry (DDA). However, DDA is known to have limited reproducibility and dynamic range with samples of complex microbial composition. To overcome these limitations, we introduce here a novel approach utilizing data-independent acquisition (DIA) mass spectrometry, which has not been applied in metaproteomics of complex samples before. For robust analysis of the data, we introduce an open-source software package diatools, which is freely available at Docker Hub and runs on various operating systems. Our highly reproducible results on laboratory-assembled microbial mixtures and human fecal samples support the utility of our approach for functional characterization of complex microbiota. Hence, the approach is expected to dramatically improve our understanding on the role of microbiota in health and disease.