ScienceAugust 29, 2026

metagenomics

meh-tuh-guh-NO-miks

Definition

The study of genetic material recovered directly from environmental samples, allowing scientists to analyze the collective genomes of complex microbial communities.

Etymology

Derived from the Greek prefix 'meta-' (meaning among or transcending) and 'genomics' (the study of genomes). It was coined to describe the genomic analysis of entire communities of organisms rather than single species.

In the news

The article mentions metagenomics as a more advanced technique that could provide future validation for the researchers' functional predictions regarding nitrogen-cycling genes.

Climate, land use shape bacterial diversity and nitrogen cycling in headwater sediments

Read the full article ↗

Bioengineer.org

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