Figs.
(left) Metagenomics, DNA (genetic information) of environmental microorganisms
(middle) Environmental microorganisms, leftward arrow: environmental microorganisms, rightward arrow: culture in artificial environment
(right) Cultivation-dependent
method, only a few culturable microorganisms (less than 1% of environmental microorganisms)
Microorganisms are collected from environmental samples (seafloor sediments and seawater) and large host organisms (benthic invertebrates such as sponges and ascidians), and the cells of the microorganisms are crushed to obtain genomic DNA.
Considering the purpose, it is desirable to obtain as long DNA fragments as possible and high quality DNA with few impurities. However, the samples vary in their properties, making it difficult to use a standardized method.
