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Long-read metagenomics paves the way toward a complete microbial tree of life

Nature Methods volume 20, pages 30–31 (2023)Cite this article

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Long-read sequencing has made closed microbial genomes a routine task, and the dramatic increase in quality and quantity now paves the way to a complete microbial tree of life through genome-centric metagenomics.

Microbial communities are vital to most processes in the biosphere and are essential for solving present and future environmental challenges1. Examples include the impact of microbial communities on global change2; the health and disease of animals, plants and humans3; the discovery of new antibiotics4; and the turning of waste products into valuables5. Life would rapidly cease to exist in a world without microbes6, and microbes and their fascinating functional potential offer important opportunities to ameliorate anthropogenic damage to the environment7.

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Acknowledgements

This work was supported by research grants from Villum Fonden (15510) and the Poul Due Jensen Foundation (Microflora Danica).

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  1. Center for Microbial Communities, Aalborg University, Aalborg, Denmark

    Mads Albertsen

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  1. Mads Albertsen
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Correspondence to Mads Albertsen.

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The author declares no competing interests.

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Albertsen, M. Long-read metagenomics paves the way toward a complete microbial tree of life. Nat Methods 20, 30–31 (2023). https://doi.org/10.1038/s41592-022-01726-6

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  • DOI: https://doi.org/10.1038/s41592-022-01726-6

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