Metagenomics is a rapidly growing field of research that has had a dramatic effect on the way we view and study the microbial world. By permitting the direct investigation of bacteria, viruses and fungi irrespective of their culturability and taxonomic identities, metagenomics has changed microbiological theory and methods and has also challenged the classical concept of species. This new field of biology has proven to be rich and comprehensive and is making important contributions in many areas including ecology, biodiversity, bioremediation, bioprospection of natural products, and in medicine.

from Diana Marco in Metagenomics: Theory, Methods and Applications

Labels: archaea, archaeal metagenomics, bioremediation, horizontal gene transfer, metagenomics, microbial communities, microbiome, plant-microbe interactions