Applications of Technologies such as Metagenomics and Environmental DNA Analysis. A Review

Abstract

Metagenomics is among the main fields of contemporary molecular biology enabling the analysis of genetic material, or genomes, recovered directly from environmental samples such as soil or seawater, with no need to culture involved microorganisms. It has demonstrated greater resolution with microbial diversity and functional potential and a more comprehensive picture of microbial interactions in a range of environments such as soil, freshwater, seawater, and the human microbiome. The recent advancements in high-throughput sequencing technologies (NGS) have significantly increased the speed and variety of metagenomic applications. These applications range from investigating functional genes and nutrient cycling to exploring new compounds that may have pharmaceutical or industrial relevance. Concurrently, environmental DNA (eDNA) is a rapidly developing technique for environmental monitoring. It is both sensitive and efficient at detecting residual genetic material left by organisms in the environment. This method enables the indirect monitoring of species, including rare or low populations.