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- Kyrpides, Nikos C, et al.
(author)
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Genomic encyclopedia of bacteria and archaea: sequencing a myriad of type strains.
- 2014
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In: PLoS biology. - : Public Library of Science (PLoS). - 1545-7885. ; 12:8
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Journal article (peer-reviewed)abstract
- Microbes hold the key to life. They hold the secrets to our past (as the descendants of the earliest forms of life) and the prospects for our future (as we mine their genes for solutions to some of the planet's most pressing problems, from global warming to antibiotic resistance). However, the piecemeal approach that has defined efforts to study microbial genetic diversity for over 20 years and in over 30,000 genome projects risks squandering that promise. These efforts have covered less than 20% of the diversity of the cultured archaeal and bacterial species, which represent just 15% of the overall known prokaryotic diversity. Here we call for the funding of a systematic effort to produce a comprehensive genomic catalog of all cultured Bacteria and Archaea by sequencing, where available, the type strain of each species with a validly published name (currently∼11,000). This effort will provide an unprecedented level of coverage of our planet's genetic diversity, allow for the large-scale discovery of novel genes and functions, and lead to an improved understanding of microbial evolution and function in the environment.
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2. |
- Moore, Edward R.B. 1954, et al.
(author)
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Microbial genetic resources and strain collections: relevance for health, research, education and biotechnology
- 2009
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In: Proceedings of the VII Simposio de Recursos Genéticos para América Latina y el Caribe. October 28-30, Pucón, Chile. - 9789567016358 ; , s. 15-16
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Conference paper (peer-reviewed)abstract
- Exchanges of biological resources have occurred since the beginning of civilization and archiving microbial resources has been advantageous in understanding the impacts of microorganisms on human, animal and plant health, research, education and biotechnological advances. Strain collections provide repositories for the exchange of microbial materials and data, as well as services to health, research and biotechnology clients. An essential component for effective archiving and exchange of reliable reference materials is the development of methods for cultivating and maintaining microorganisms, the reliable authentication of reference strains, while recognizing bio-safety and bio-security issues. Furthermore, biological resource centers are faced with challenges in recognizing the interests of global biological commons with those of the Convention on Biological Diversity.
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