Metagenomics Aims to Learn About the Diversity of Organisms, Particularly

question 48

Multiple Choice

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. As with many new endeavors, concerns have been raised by some that genomics will fundamentally change the way biological research is practiced. Examine the full citation for the Venter et al. paper and consider the way this work was done. Now think of some seminal works in the history of biology, for example, Darwin's On the Origin of Species and Watson and Crick's publication on DNA structure. What do you think the concern might be that has been voiced about genomics?

• A) Genomics will offer deep insights too rapidly for the biological community to comprehend.
• B) Genomics is so based in technology that it cannot possibly reveal important knowledge of biology.
• C) Genomics makes biology a "big-team science" that will squeeze out innovative individuals or small groups of scientists who traditionally have provided our greatest insights.
• D) Genomics is really computer science, not biology, and therefore offers little for understanding life.

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