Genome Sequencing of Microbes

Abstract

Whole genome sequencing is now a routine tool in research labs and has the potential to become the technique of choice in a clinical setting. Biological databases are full of genomic data from all domains of the microbial world allowing us to fully determine their genetic content. To date, microbial genome sequencing has revealed a large amount of information on the structure, metabolism and evolution of microbes while also potentially providing novel applications in molecular diagnostics, food safety and biomedicine. This reference module explores the current technologies and repositories available for microbial genomes while also reviewing what we have learned from genomics since the advent of sequencing technologies.