Modern Trends in Microbiology

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New Trends in Microbiology Zhihong Hu Wuhan Institute of Virology Chinese Academy of Sciences Outline I. Microbes and Microbiology II. Environmental Microbiology III. Microbial Genomics IV. Emerging Infectious Disease V. Integrative Microbiology I. Microbes and Microbiology Microbes are the Basis of Life  Microbes were the first life form on earth  The root of the tree of life  Microbes have the greatest genetic and metabolic diversity  Define the boards of the biosphere 3.5 billion years old prokaryotic fossil Microbes are the Majority of the Planet and Critical for Sustaining Ecosystem    Microbes represent the single largest mass of life on earth : 50-60% of biomass Microbes create, maintain, and restore balance in virtually all ecosystems Bottom of the food chains Biofuels Will Depend on Microbes Total Ethanol From cellulose From corn Bio-Ethanol Microbes are Vital to Human Health  More than 90% of the cells in our bodies are microorganisms  Necessary for digestion and absorption of nutrients  Critical for the development of vascular and immune systems  Pathogens of infectious diseases Microbiology is Fundamental to Biology  Microbes are ideal model for studying life science  Microbiology plays important roles in biochemistry, genetics, evolution, molecular biology, etc. The Tree of Life Before Molecular Microbiology Five Kingdoms of Life The Tree of Life After Molecular Microbiology Three Domains of Life Eukarya Bacteria Carl Woese University of Illinois Archaea II. Environmental Microbiology ~99% of the Microbes on Earth are Uncultured Amann, Ludwig and Schleifer, Microbiol. Rev. 59, 1995 Metagenomics: In situ Microbial Community Analysis “To Understand the Whole, One Must Study the Whole” Newman & Banfield, Science 296, 2002 Extreme Environments

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