Genomics of Bacteria from an Ancient Marine Origin: Clues to Survival in an Oligotrophic Environment

Abstract

Genomics has certainly changed the way that biology is studied, and has had a substantial impact on many other scientific disciplines as well. Life and Earth have had an interdependent history since the early establishment of the biogeochemical cycles in the Archean. Genomic sequences provide historical information that can be correlated with the geological record. Thus, it is not surprising that comparative genomics aids in understanding current findings in geological sciences. Genomics allows us to explain the evolutionary history of an organism by analyzing and comparing the set of shared genes with all respective relatives. Additionally, by examining the genes that are unique to some strains or taxonomic groups, we can make inferences about their ecology.