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Overview

Use comparative analysis to identify similarities and differences between sample groups (cohorts). The analysis creates a matrix showing which organisms appear in each sample, helping you discover trends in your data. Example use case: Compare gut microbiomes of mice on different diets to see how diet affects bacterial composition.

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Video tutorial

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Create analysis using automated cohort splitting

You can automatically generate comparatives using three methods from the Cohorts & Metadata menu. See Cohorts & Metadata for setup details.

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Using uploaded metadata

Automatically split cohorts based on uploaded metadata instead of manually selecting samples.

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Using custom tags

Define cohorts by adding custom tags to sample groups in the Cohorts & Metadata menu, then use those tags to create comparatives.

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Using folder names

Organize samples into subfolders, then use folder names to define cohorts for comparative analysis.

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Create analysis manually

  1. Click the comparative analysis button in the menu
  2. Click Create
  3. Configure your analysis:
    • Name: Enter a descriptive name
    • Database: Select from dropdown
    • Results type: Choose filtered or total (see Filtering)
    • Metric: Select relative abundance, frequency, total matches %, or unique matches %
    • Cohorts: Enter names for your sample groups

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Select samples

Selection options:
  • Click checkboxes next to individual samples
  • Select all samples using the checkbox next to “file” at the top
  • Assign samples to cohorts using the label column checkboxes (L1, L2, L3, etc.)
Search and filter:
  • Use search boxes above the table to find samples by name or date range
  • Toggle example datasets on/off as needed
  • Adjust samples per page using the dropdown near the Submit button
  • Navigate pages using Previous/Next or page numbers
The sample table shows sample name, size, and number of hits (organisms or genes identified).
You must select at least 2 datasets to perform comparative analysis.
Click Submit to run your analysis.

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Duplicate an analysis

To modify an existing analysis without starting from scratch:
  1. Click the comparative analysis icon in the left panel
  2. Select the analysis you want to duplicate
  3. Click Duplicate in the upper right corner
  4. Modify settings as needed (name, database, samples, filters, or metrics)
  5. Click Submit

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Rename or delete analyses

  1. Click the comparative analysis icon in the left panel
  2. Select one or more analyses
To delete:
  • Click the Delete icon (you can delete multiple at once)
  • Confirm deletion when prompted
  • Note: Deleted analyses are permanently removed but can be recreated from original files
To rename:
  • Select only one analysis
  • Click the Rename icon
  • Enter a new name using allowed characters: letters, numbers, ', &, (, ), [, ], +, !, ., -, _
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