Special topic: Metagenomics - Genome Sciences

Life on Earth: The cultured vs. the uncultured
Prokaryotic abundance & biomass:
• 4-5x10^30 cells
• 5 Trillion tonnes
Large population size and rapid
growth imply an enormous
capacity for genetic diversity.
We’re missing out: Cultured
microorganisms represent ≤1% of
the total microbial community
(from soil).
Whitman et al., 1998 / Gillespie et al., 2002