• NEWS AND VIEWS

Bioprospecting marine microbial genomes to improve biotechnology

The direct recovery of microbial genomes from complex environments is now routine. Going from environmental genomes to laboratory experiments is rare, but the tide is turning.
By
  1. A. Murat Eren

    1. A. Murat Eren is at the Helmholtz Institute for Functional Marine Biodiversity, 26129 Oldenburg, Germany; at the Alfred Wegener Institute, Helmholtz Centre for Polar and Marine Research, Bremerhaven, Germany; at the Institute for Chemistry and Biology of the Marine Environment, University of Oldenburg, Oldenburg, Germany; at the Marine Biological Laboratory, Woods Hole, Massachusetts, USA; and at the Max Planck Institute for Marine Microbiology, Bremen, Germany.

  2. Tom O. Delmont

    1. Tom O. Delmont is at Génomique Métabolique du Genoscope, Institut François Jacob, CEA, CNRS, University of Évry Val d’Essonne, Université Paris-Saclay, Evry, France; and at the Research Federation for the Study of Global Ocean Systems Ecology and Evolution, FR2022/Tara GOSEE, Paris, France.

Access through your institution
Buy or subscribe

In the past few decades, microbiology has revealed the astonishing diversity and dynamism of the microbes that define the boundaries of life on Earth, and that collectively undertake some of the most fundamental biogeochemical processes that maintain the habitability of our planet. As rapidly improving sequencing technologies were combined with molecular and analytical approaches that enabled microbial genomes to be recovered directly from complex environments1,2, a new era began in life sciences, in which scientists could characterize the gene pool and metabolic potential of environmental microbes without laboriously having to grow them in the laboratory first. Writing in Nature, Chen et al.3 report progress in moving this journey to the next stage of exploration.

Access options

Access through your institution

Rent or buy this article

Prices vary by article type

from$1.95

to$39.95

Learn more

Prices may be subject to local taxes which are calculated during checkout

Nature 633, 287-288 (2024)

doi: https://doi.org/10.1038/d41586-024-02661-6

References

  1. Woyke, T., Doud, D. F. R. & Schulz, F. Nature Meth. 14, 1045–1054 (2017).

    Article  Google Scholar 

  2. Chen, L.-X., Anantharaman, K., Shaiber, A., Eren, A. M. & Banfield, J. F. Genome Res. 30, 315–333 (2020).

    Article  PubMed  Google Scholar 

  3. Chen, J. et al. Nature 633, 371–379 (2024).

    Article  Google Scholar 

  4. Gerwick, W. H. & Fenner, A. M. Microb. Ecol. 65, 800–806 (2013).

    Article  PubMed  Google Scholar 

  5. Zhivkoplias, E. et al. Nature Sustain. 7, 1027–1037 (2024).

    Article  Google Scholar 

  6. Paoli, L. et al. Nature 607, 111–118 (2022).

    Article  PubMed  Google Scholar 

  7. Yoshida, S. et al. Science 351, 1196–1199 (2016).

    Article  PubMed  Google Scholar 

  8. Schmidt, T. S. B. et al. Nucleic Acids Res. 52, D777–D783 (2024).

    Article  PubMed  Google Scholar 

Download references

Competing Interests

The authors declare no competing interests.

Subjects

Latest on:

Nature Careers

Jobs

  • Associate or Senior Editor Polymer Chemistry, Nature Communications

    Job Title: Associate or Senior Editor Polymer Chemistry, Nature Communications Locations: New York, Jersey City, Beijing, Shanghai, Nanjing, Milan ...

    New York City, New York (US)

    Springer Nature Ltd

  • Chief Editor, Nature Geoscience

    Job Title: Chief Editor, Nature Geoscience Location(s): New York, Shanghai, or Beijing (Internal candidates from hub locations are welcome to apply...

    New York City, New York (US)

    Springer Nature Ltd

  • Senior Director, Statistical Methodologist

    Biogen is seeking a Senior Director to develop, directs and oversee global activities in the areas of Biostatistics function.

    Remote (US)

    Biogen

  • Scientist, Immunology

    Biogen is seeking a highly motivated and accomplished Scientist with drug discovery experience.

    San Francisco, California

    Biogen

  • Director, Clinical Pharmacology

    Biogen is seeking strategic leadership in the development and execution of Clinical Pharmacology Plans.

    Remote (US)

    Biogen

Nature Briefing

Sign up for the Nature Briefing newsletter — what matters in science, free to your inbox daily.

Get the most important science stories of the day, free in your inbox. Sign up for Nature Briefing