metagenomics

(noun)

The study of genomes recovered from environmental samples; especially the differentiation of genomes from multiple organisms or individuals, either in a symbiotic relationship, or at a crime scene.

Related Terms

Examples of metagenomics in the following topics:

  • Metagenomics

    • Metagenomics is the study of genetic material derived from environmental samples.
    • Metagenomics is the study of metagenomes; genetic material recovered directly from environmental samples.
    • Shotgun metagenomics is also capable of sequencing nearly complete microbial genomes directly from the environment.
    • Pyrosequenced metagenomes generate 200–500 megabases, while Illumina platforms generate around 20–50 gigabases.
    • As most short-read assembly software was not designed for metagenomic applications, specialized methods have been developed to utilize mate-read data in metagenomic assembly.

  • Detecting Uncultured Microorganisms

    • Using metagenomics, the microbial constituents of the world can be identified by culturing each individual species.
    • However, early metagenomic studies revealed that there are probably large groups of microorganisms in many environments that cannot be cultured and thus cannot be sequenced.
    • The discovery of such diversity led to the field of metagenomics, which is the study of metagenomes, genetic material recovered directly from environmental samples.
    • These advances have allowed the adaptation of shotgun sequencing to metagenomic samples .
    • Using metagenomics, and the resultant sequencing of uncultured microbes, metagenomics has the potential to advance knowledge in a wide variety of fields.

  • Viral Genomes in Nature

    • Metagenomic sequencing is particularly useful in the study of viral communities.
    • As viruses lack a shared universal phylogenetic marker (as 16S RNA for bacteria and archaea, and 18S RNA for eukarya), the only way to access the genetic diversity of the viral community from an environmental sample is through metagenomics.
    • Viral metagenomes (also called viromes) should therefore provide more and more information about viral diversity and evolution.

  • Newly Discovered Eukaryotes

    • Due to the advent of mass sequencing tools, thousands of new viral species have been identified in metagenomics studies, while at the same time hundreds of new viral species have been found.

  • Viral Roles in Ecosystems

    • Metagenomics is a relatively recent field of study that tries to understand the diversity—especially microbial—of the world around us.

  • Psychrophilic Crenarchaeota

    • More recent metagenomic studies have revealed that some Crenarchaeote Archaea possess AMO.