Microbial communities in Antarctic lakes: Entirely new perspectives from metagenomics and metaproteomics

Abstract

Driven by advances in DNA sequencing technologies, an astounding amount of data is being generated from genetic material sourced directly from the environment, and this exponential growth of data is set to continue. By surmounting the challenges of working with such vast datasets, a whole new level of understanding is being gained about microbial diversity, microbial evolution and whole ecosystem function. For precious, pristine and logistically difficult to obtain Antarctic samples, metagenomic and metaproteomic approaches are providing the basis for fundamental new discoveries about how Antarctic systems function.