Functional Metagenomics

In this book, the latest tools available for functional metagenomics research are described.This research enables scientists to directly access the genomes from diverse microbial genomes at one time and study these “metagenomes”. Using the modern tools of genome sequencing and cloning, researchers have now been able to harness this astounding metagenomic diversity to understand and exploit the diverse functions of microorganisms. Leading scientists from around the world demonstrate how these approaches have been applied in many different settings, including aquatic and terrestrial habitats, microbiomes, and many more environments. This is a highly informative and carefully presented book, providing microbiologists with a summary of the latest functional metagenomics literature on all specific habitats.

Although we can't usually see them, microbes are essential for every part of human life-indeed all life on Earth. The emerging field of metagenomics offers a new way of exploring the microbial world that will transform modern microbiology and lead to practical applications in medicine, agriculture, alternative energy, environmental remediation, and many others areas. Metagenomics allows researchers to look at the genomes of all of the microbes in an environment at once, providing a "meta" view of the whole microbial community and the complex interactions within it. It's a quantum leap beyond traditional research techniques that rely on studying-one at a time-the few microbes that can be grown in the laboratory. At the request of the National Science Foundation, five Institutes of the National Institutes of Health, and the Department of Energy, the National Research Council organized a committee to address the current state of metagenomics and identify obstacles current researchers are facing in order to determine how to best support the field and encourage its success. The New Science of Metagenomics recommends the establishment of a "Global Metagenomics Initiative" comprising a small number of large-scale metagenomics projects as well as many medium- and small-scale projects to advance the technology and develop the standard practices needed to advance the field. The report also addresses database needs, methodological challenges, and the importance of interdisciplinary collaboration in supporting this new field.

Functional Metagenomics: Microbial Diversity, Interaction, and Application in Bioremediation uses a 20-chapter, easy-to-understand format to centralize the practical application ideas for functional metagenomics. This important resource not only includes chapters on next-generation sequencing technologies to study important biogeochemical cycles, degradation pathways and detoxification, but also gives insight into several tools that have been developed to integrate metadata and sequence data, allowing downstream comparative analyses of different datasets using several ecological indices.Content further explains the newly developed techniques for sequencing DNA; generating shorter fragments than Sanger sequencing techniques to quickly read larger sequences in a shorter amount of time. The content finally explores the role of metagenomics in studying microbial diversity, interaction and application in bioremediation studies and gives the reader overall detailed information regarding metagenomics, its application as well as techniques. Provides comprehensive information to readers on state-of-the-art applications in metagenomics Summarizes our current knowledge of the use of metagenomics and gives a novel and powerful insight into the already existing bioremediation process Gives an overall picture of metagenomics, its application, processes, and future prospects in the field of bioremediation

Microbiome Drivers of Ecosystem Function focuses on the advancements in microbial technologies towards harnessing the microbiome for improved crop productivity and health that are at the frontier of agricultural sciences. It provides insights into the diversity of endophytic microbiomes and their potential utility in agricultural production.Increased crop yield through chemical interventions have limit thresholds and alternative, natural and/or integrated approaches are increasingly needed. Microbial inoculants among the ways in which food production efficiency can be improved. Plant growth-promoting soil organisms increase net crop uptake of soil nutrients, resulting in larger crops and higher yields of harvested food. These and other symbiotic associations between plants and microbes can ultimately be exploited for the increased food production necessary to feed the world, in addition to creating safer farming techniques that minimize ecological disruption.As a volume in the Microbiome Research in Plants and Soil series, Microbiome Drivers of Ecosystem Function serves as an ideal reference for researchers and students in the fields of agricultural biotechnology, biochemistry, environmental science, plant biology, agricultural sciences, and agricultural engineering. Provides insights on engineered microbes in sustainable agriculture, recent biotechnological developments, and future prospects Introduces microbes as chief ecological engineers in reinstating equilibrium in degraded ecosystems Presents the current state and development, as well as future challenges in studying plant-microbe interactions Discusses endophytic microbiomes and other microbial consortium with multifunctional plant growth-promoting attributes

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Most plants are colonized by endophytes: bacterial and fungal microorganisms, without visible disease symptoms. With state-of-the-art knowledge on their discovery, qualities and roles, this book describes endophyte diversity, their value, exploitation and future challenges. It explains how beneficial endophytes colonize plants, and how they might help mitigate climate change effects, assist pest control and interact with mycorrhizal fungi to boost yield. Endophytes can facilitate the access to nutrients, produce particular metabolites, and change the plant's chemistry, physiology and (defense) responses. Endophyte biosynthetic pathways can, alone or in combination with the plant's, yield novel chemicals, with yet-to-be-discovered pharmacological characteristics as well. The book describes how functional metagenomics can explore and boost yields of useful endophyte products.

This book summarizes the various areas of research in metagenomics and their potential applications in medicine, the environment and biotechnology. The book presents the recent advances in theoretical, methodological and applied aspects of metagenomics and highlights their applications in the fields of environmental microbial forensics, bioremediation, drug-discovery and agriculture. In addition, the book discusses various metagenomics approaches used for understanding the microbial physiology and biochemistry. Lastly the book describes a range of bioinformatics tools and computational methods for metagenomics analysis as well as the functional diversity and dynamics of microbial communities colonizing the human skin.