New tools for discovering and characterizing microbial diversity

To discover and characterize microbial diversity, approaches based on new sequencing technologies, novel isolation techniques, microfluidics, and metagenomics among others are being used. These approaches have contributed to discovery of novel genes from environmental samples, to massive characterization of functional and phylogenetic genes and to isolation of members of formerly uncultured yet ubiquitous groups like Verrucomicrobia, Acidobacteria, OP10, and methanogenic Archaea. Cheaper sequencing is key in this process by making available applications that were previously restricted to big research centers, complementing previously available methodologies and potentially replacing some of them. The new tools are reshaping the way we study the environment, increasing the resolution at which microbial communities, their complexities and dynamics, can be studied to reveal their genetic potential and their functional diversity.