# Cell number information from metagenomic datasets by MetaPhlAn3

**URL:** <https://forum.biobakery.org/t/cell-number-information-from-metagenomic-datasets-by-metaphlan3/3577>\
**Category:** MetaPhlAn\
**Created:** [May 13, 2022, 8:26am UTC](https://forum.biobakery.org/t/cell-number-information-from-metagenomic-datasets-by-metaphlan3/3577 "2022-05-13T08:26:23Z")\
**Posts on this page:** 2\
**Page:** 1

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**Author:** ![GavinW](https://yyz1.discourse-cdn.com/flex027/user_avatar/forum.biobakery.org/gavinw/32/1450_2.png) [@GavinW](https://forum.biobakery.org/u/GavinW)\
**Post date:** [May 13, 2022, 8:26am UTC](https://forum.biobakery.org/t/cell-number-information-from-metagenomic-datasets-by-metaphlan3/3577/1 "2022-05-13T08:26:23Z")

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Dear team, Is there any way to export the cell count information from MetaPhlAn?

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**Author:** ![aitor.blancomiguez](https://yyz1.discourse-cdn.com/flex027/user_avatar/forum.biobakery.org/aitor.blancomiguez/32/86_2.png) [@aitor.blancomiguez](https://forum.biobakery.org/u/aitor.blancomiguez)\
**Post date:** [May 18, 2022, 2:14pm UTC](https://forum.biobakery.org/t/cell-number-information-from-metagenomic-datasets-by-metaphlan3/3577/2 "2022-05-18T14:14:09Z")

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Hi @GavinW  
Thanks for getting in touch. Unfortunately, there is no way to retrieve that information from the MetaPhlAn profiling as the abundance of each species is reported in terms of relative abundance. Even reporting them in terms of absolute abundance in your sample, it will not reflect the real number of cells in your sample and it it will just be dependent on your sequencing depth