Workshop: Single Cell Alternatives to Metagenomics in Environmental Microbiology to be held in West Boothbay Harbor, Maine on September 9-11, 2007

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To date, most molecular studies of microbial communities in the environment have used PCR (polymerase chain reaction - a DNA multiplication procedure)-based or clone (multiple copies of exact replicas of a DNA molecule) library-based method to characterize these microorganisms. These approaches have been invaluable in our understanding of the breadth of the diversity of microorganisms on the planet. However, because these rely on bulk preparation of DNA from the environment, these approaches eliminate any ability to study cell to cell individuality in the community. It is this cell to cell variability that is important in understanding the fundamental properties that govern microbial communities in nature and are important in population dynamics, microbial ecology and microbial evolution. This workshop focuses on the use of flow cytometry (highly precise, controlled flow instruments for sorting micrometer-sized objects) to sort cells from natural waters. The genomes of these individual, sorted cells can then be sequenced and annotated so that fully characterized genomes of single cells result. This workshop is an intensive 4-day tutorial of hands-on methods training coupled with seminars by leaders in the field to build the conceptual framework needed so that scientific questions can be asked using the techniques taught at the workshop.