Science Buddies: "Ask an Expert"

In just a few short years, metagenomics research has penetrated into various fields, from the sea to the land, the air, from termites to mice, then to the human, from the fermentation process to bio energy and environmental governance.
What specific applications are used by the metagenomics?

Well--you started answering the question yourself in your description. Identifying the range of organisms in a particular environment tells people a lot about the response to certain pollutants. Looking for particular bacterial species that can digest oil, for example, or concentrate heavy metals would be very useful. Genomes of certain kinds of algae are being studied to determine ways to boost production of oil for use as fuel. Metagenomics is now also being applied to humans in determining the kinds of microbes in their intestines. The gut microbiome is a very active area of research now and studies are revealing all sorts of possible connections with obesity, diabetes, Alzheimer's, Crohn's disease and even depression.

Do some more reading online and you will find lots of uses for metagenomic data. If you get stuck on the details, let us know and we will help.

Sybee