Functional metagenomics: recent advances and future challenges

Metagenomics is a relatively new but fast growing field within environmental biology directed at obtaining knowledge on genomes of environmental microbes as well as of entire microbial communities. With the sequencing technologies improving steadily, generating large amounts of sequence is becoming routine. However, it remains difficult to connect specific microbial phyla to specific functions in the environment. A number of 'functional metagenomics' approaches have been implemented in the recent years that allow high-resolution genomic analysis of uncultivated microbes, connecting them to specific functions in the environment. These include analysis of niche-specialized low complexity communities, reactor enrichments, and the use labeling technologies. Metatranscriptomics and metaproteomics are the newest sub-disciplines within the metagenomics field that provide further levels of resolution for functional analysis of uncultivated microbes and communities. The recent emergence of new (next generation) sequencing technologies, resulting in higher sequence output and dramatic drop in the price of sequencing, will be defining a new era in metagenomics. At this time the sequencing effort will be taken to a new level to allow addressing new, previously unattainable biological questions as well as accelerating genome-based discovery for medical and biotechnological applications.