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Indian Journal of Microbiology logoLink to Indian Journal of Microbiology
. 2008 Jul 27;48(2):163–172. doi: 10.1007/s12088-008-0030-5

A biological treasure metagenome: pave a way for big science

So-Youn Park 1, Geun-Joong Kim 1,✉
PMCID: PMC3450180  PMID: 23100711

Abstract

The trend of recent researches, in which synthetic biology and white technology through system approaches based on “Omics technology” are recognized as the ground of biotechnology, indicates the coming of the ‘metagenome era’ that accesses the genomes of all microbes aiming at the understanding and industrial application of the whole microbial resources. The remarkable advance of technologies for digging out and analyzing metagenome is enabling not only practical applications of metagenome but also system approaches on a mixed-genome level based on accumulated information. In this situation, the present review is purposed to introduce the trends and methods of research on metagenome and to examine big science led by related resources in the future.

Keywords: Metagenome, Gene mining, Novel metabolites, Systems approach, Biological treasure

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