Single Cell Whole Genome Amplification of Uncultivated Organisms

Abstract

Whole genome amplification of single cells is emerging as a powerful technique for accessing the genomes of individual members of microbial communities without the complication of identifying the source of sequence data posed by shotgun sequencing of environmental samples (metagenomics). This method holds particular promise for the molecular unveiling of uncultivated organisms that comprise the bulk of the microbial diversity and functionality on our planet.