Metagenomics is a groundbreaking field in molecular biology that enables scientists to study microbial DNA directly from environmental samples without the need for cultivation. With the rise of next-generation sequencing (NGS), researchers can now explore microbial diversity at an unprecedented level.
Metagenomics is the study of genetic material recovered directly from environmental samples, such as soil, oceans, or the human gut. Unlike traditional microbiology, it bypasses the need to culture organisms in the lab.
Understand how microbial communities interact with each other and with their hosts.
Metagenomics is a multi-step process combining laboratory techniques and computational analysis to decode the genetic material of entire microbial communities directly from their natural environment. Understanding each step in detail helps appreciate the complexity and power of this approach.
The process begins with isolating total DNA from an environmental sample (e.g., soil, water, stool).
Technologies like Illumina, Oxford Nanopore, or PacBio are used to sequence millions of DNA fragments.
The DNA reads are assembled, annotated, and compared to reference databases using
