Environmental shotgun sequencing: its potential and challenges for studying the hidden world of microbes

Jonathan A Eisen

doi:10.1371/journal.pbio.0050082

Environmental shotgun sequencing: its potential and challenges for studying the hidden world of microbes

PLoS Biol. 2007 Mar;5(3):e82. doi: 10.1371/journal.pbio.0050082.

Author

Jonathan A Eisen¹

Affiliation

¹ University of California Davis Genome Center, Section of Evolution and Ecology and the Department of Medical Microbiology and Immunology, Davis, California, United States of America. jaeisen@ucdavis.edu

Abstract

Environmental shotgun sequencing promises to reveal novel and fundamental insights into the hidden world of microbes, but the complexity of analysis required to realize this potential poses unique interdisciplinary challenges.

Publication types

Research Support, U.S. Gov't, Non-P.H.S.

MeSH terms

Bacteria / classification
Bacteria / genetics*
Colony Count, Microbial
DNA, Bacterial / genetics
Polymerase Chain Reaction

Substances

DNA, Bacterial