We can draw an analogy between the study of omics and cars- we may know all the parts of a car, but we have to know how to assemble the parts in order for the car to be functional. The same concept can be applied to the use of omics. In order to study the way microorganisms interact with their environment, we must examine interactions at the molecular, cellular, community, and ecosystem level, and different types of omics assess each level. The list below includes many types of omics, along with a general size range:
• Genomics- the classification of organisms based on their 16S rRNA (Wackett, Dodge, & Ellis, 2004; Xu, 2006) o width of DNA is ~2 nm (Audesirk, 2011); molecular
• Metagenomics- the study of genomes in an environmental context (Demanèche et al., 2009; Kimes et al., 2013; Tyson et al., 2004; Vieites, Guazzaroni, Beloqui, Golyshin, & Ferrer, 2009; Xu, 2006) o molecular
• Transcriptomics- the study of gene expression (Sorek & Cossart, 2010; Stewart, Sharma, Bryant, Eppley, & DeLong, 2011; Z. Wang, Gerstein, & Snyder, 2009) o molecular
• Proteomics- study of protein structure and function (VerBerkmoes, Denef, Hettich, & Banfield, 2009) o range in diameter from 1.1-5.21 nm (Erickson, 2009); molecular
• Lipidomics- (German, Gillies, Smilowitz, Zivkovic, & Watkins, 2007) o size 100 µm in diameter x 1 µm depth (Suzuki, Shinohara, Ohsaki, & Fujimoto, 2011); molecular
• Phenomics- study of the genotype-phenotype relationship (Schilling, Edwards, & Palsson, 1999) o cellular
• Metabolomics- the study of the interactions of organisms with their environment by looking at metabolites (Bundy, Davey, & Viant, 2008) o Cellular, community, and ecosystem
The list above contains parts, in terms of the way a microorganism interacts wit...
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...croorganisms, they didn’t look at what these evolutionary patterns mean for ecosystem function.
Omics are tools to be used for system-level understanding of the way organisms interact with their environment. When studying a problem at a molecular scale, it may be easy to forget that the molecular-scale problem can effect an ecosystem scale. In this way, the investigation of molecular-scale problems could have implications on ecosystem scales that are not fully realized without the use of combine omic techniques. In a description of systems biology, Kitano (2002) states that instead of examining characteristics of isolated parts of a cell or organism, we must study the structure and dynamics of cellular and organismal function. I believe that omics are helping us to dive deeper into the world of biogeochemistry, and this hidden world will soon become more exposed.
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Microbiology is the study of organisms that are too small to be seen by the naked eye. These living organisms, known as microorganisms, are believed to be the cause of infectious diseases long before they were discovered. My interest in microorganisms stems from personal experience with the impacts they have on every aspect of human life. Microbiology is a crucial area of knowledge and study in life sciences, and research continues to aid us in understanding the world the around us.
The diversity and the unity of life are equally meaningful and striking aspects of our Earth (Dobzhansky, 1973). Although an astounding 1.2 million species have already been identified, it is estimated that another 8.7 million are yet to be discovered and classified (Mora et al., 2011). By understanding what unifies us –our genes, our understanding of the organisms we share our planet with will continue to grow.
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The hypotheses was consequently tested primarily by utilizing publically accessible data, specifically genomes to sequence for GH genes. An algorithm by the name of Gene Hunt was developed, to facilitate the sequencing of the genomes available to use. The algorithm was utilized to analyze 12,000 sequences of bacterial genomes, to create a map of each genome detailing genes and their protein. The algorithm was then utilized to sequence fungal genomes, and to identify GH genes. The results of these experiments, determined that specific sequencing needed to occur of microorganisms in the specific ecosystem they inhabit. The final experiment conducted utilized mice to provide stool samples. The stool samples would effectively identify GH genes of microbiota that would theoretically be similar to those located inside the human intestinal system. The samples were sequenced, and the results determined genes pertaining to functions and organism.
There are many different techniques involved in gene screening. With the start of the Human Genome Mapping Project some of these techniques have been altered to speed up the screening process. Examples of these techniques include PCR (polymerize chain reaction), RFLP's (restricti...
Jared Diamond is a professor of geography at UCLA. He has a PhD in physiology and has spent his time since then researching molecular physiology and evolutio...
Microbes are everywhere in the biosphere, and their presence invariably affects the environment in which they grow. The effects
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