"Metaproteomics is an excellent tool for the taxonomic and functional analysis of complex ecosystems. The field is rapidly evolving and the amount of metaproteomics data that needs to be processed is constantly growing, which poses new challenges for metaproteomics data analysis tools that exist today. Unipept (https://unipept.ugent.be) is a leading tool for metaproteomics data analysis that provides researchers with the ability to extract both taxonomic and functional information from environmental samples. In order to keep up with the evolution that the metaproteomics field is currently dealing with, we need to address some challenges and make Unipept ready for the next generation of metaproteomics research. By accepting arbitrary peptides for analysis, I want to prepare Unipept for the transitioning in wet lab sample preparation techniques that is currently taking place. By developing and implementing novel statistical methods for the comparison of multiple datasets, we can accommodate the increasing demand for differential analysis in metaproteomics and increase insight of researchers into the impact of microorganisms on human and environmental systems. Lastly, I propose to expand Unipept with support for the analysis of metagenomics and metatranscriptomics datasets such that it can become the universal analysis tool when it comes to experiments that combine information from multiple meta-omics searches (e.g. proteogenomics)."