Metagenomics aims to learn about the diversity of organisms, particularly microbes that inhabit natural environments. J. Craig Venter, a key figure in the race to obtain the human genome sequence, and his colleagues pioneered this approach in a study that analyzed DNA obtained from microbes collected from the Sargasso Sea, an intensively studied, nutrient-impoverished part of the Caribbean lying to the southeast of Bermuda. (C. J. Venter, K. Remington, J. F. Heidelberg, A. L. Halpern, D. Rusch, J. A. Eisen, D. Wu, I. Paulsen, K. E. Nelson, W. Nelson, D. E. Fouts, S. Levy, A. H. Knap, M. W. Lomas, K. Nealson, O. White, J. Peterson, J. Hoffman, R. Parsons, H. Baden-Tillson, C. Pfannkock, Y.-H. Rogers, and H. O. Smith. 2004. Environmental genome shotgun sequencing of the Sargasso Sea. Science 304:66-74.)
-Refer to the paragraph on the Venter et al. paper and the accompanying table. What practical applications for human society may arise first from this or similar metagenomic studies?
A) New genes with useful properties may be identified and ultimately put to use.
B) New microbial species could be isolated from seawater.
C) An increased knowledge of the diversity of marine ecosystems could lead to investigations of diversity in other ecosystems.
D) Species discovered in the Sargasso Sea may also be found to inhabit less-remote waters.

Question

Quizplus · Accepted Answer

Metagenomic studies can identify novel genes with potentially useful properties, such as enzymes that can break down pollutants or antimicrobial peptides that could be developed into new antibiotics.

Metagenomics Aims to Learn About the Diversity of Organisms, Particularly