Microbial Genome Sequencing: The Cenarchaeum Symbiosum Genome Project: Genome Sequence from a Psychrophilic Archaeon, the Ocean's Single-most Abundant Microbes

蒙特利湾水族馆研究所的爱德华·f·德隆（Edward F. DeLong）获得了一笔赠款，用于对海洋微生物——共生Cenarchaeum symbiosum的基因组进行测序。这种微生物属于被称为古生菌的不同微生物谱系，是海洋中最丰富的微生物群之一。然而，尽管它们的丰度很高，但这些微生物从未被培养过，因此它们的生物学特性和生态意义仍然未知。基因组测序技术现在可以解决这个问题，甚至可以对未培养的微生物进行遗传表征。在本项目中，将开发和应用当代基因组测序策略来确定和分析共生Cenarchaeum symbiosum的全基因组序列。这个项目将是第一个从一种未栽培、未驯化的微生物中确定全基因组序列的项目。所开发的方法和技术将在许多其他研究中有广泛的应用。所开发的技术将使在许多不同情况下研究环境中自然存在的微生物成为可能。由于其进化起源，共生Cenarchaeum symbiosum基因组序列将为微生物热适应机制提供新的见解。这些信息将对旨在修饰或分离工业、生物技术或商业产品中使用的活性、耐热酶的研究有用。此外，共生Cenarchaeum symbiosum属于一组微生物，代表了海洋中最丰富的细胞类型。这种微生物的基因组序列也将为了解这些分布广泛、数量众多的海洋微生物的功能提供重要线索。这些数据将提供给整个科学界，并加入到不断增长的全微生物基因组序列数据库中。这些数据也将为未来的海洋生态学研究提供一个起点。这是一个微生物基因组测序奖，由国家科学基金会和农业部合作项目资助。

Edward F. DeLong of the Monterey Bay Aquarium Research Institute has been awarded a grant to sequence the genome of the marine microbe, Cenarchaeum symbiosum. This microbe belongs to a divergent lineage of microorganisms known as Archaea, and is a member of one of the most abundant microbial groups in the ocean. Despite their high abundance however, these microbes have never been cultivated, so their biological properties and ecological significance remain unknown. Genome sequencing technology can now address this problem, allowing genetic characterization of even uncultivated microbes. In this project, contemporary genome sequencing strategies will be developed and applied to determine and analyze the whole genome sequence of Cenarchaeum symbiosum.This project will be among the first to determine a whole genome sequence from an uncultivated, undomesticated microbe. The methods and techniques developed will have broad applications for many other studies. The technologies developed will enable the study of naturally occurring microorganisms in the environment in many different contexts. Due to its evolutionary origin, the Cenarchaeum symbiosum genome sequence will provide new insight into the mechanisms of thermal adaptation in microorganisms. This information will be useful for studies aiming to modify or isolate active, thermostable enzymes used in industry, biotechnology, or commercial products. Additionally, Cenarchaeum symbiosum belongs to a group of microbes that represent the most abundant cell types in the ocean. The genome sequence of this microbe should also yield important clues about the function of these widespread and abundant oceanic microorganisms. The data will be made available to the entire scientific community, adding to the growing database of whole microbial genome sequences. The data will also provide a starting point for future studies of ocean ecology. This is a Microbial Genome Sequencing Award funded through a collaborative program between the National Science Foundation and the Department of Agriculture.