How many 16S-based studies should be included in a metagenomic conference? It may be a matter of etymology

Abstract

The word 'metagenomic' is one of the most used words in environmental microbiology especially in recent years, yet sometimes it is a little overused. Can studies targeting a single gene be considered 'metagenomic'? It is more controversial than once thought, maybe a possible solution may come from an etymological analysis of the word. © 2014 Federation of European Microbiological Societies. Published by John Wiley & Sons Ltd. All rights reserved.