Multi-omics Understanding of Methanotrophs

Abstract

Over the past two decades, application of high-throughput technologies for molecular analysis, collectively referred to as omics, have revolutionized the field of biology. These technologies enable collecting large amounts of data on DNA and RNA sequences, protein and metabolite identities, which can then be incorporated into metabolic models that can simulate metabolisms. Omics have been applied to studying methanotrophy for a long time, and progress in this area has been summarised previously, including recent reviews. In this chapter, we only highlight the very latest novel insights into methanotrophy through omics. Some of the highlights are the newly uncovered environmental dominance of the Methylobacter species, the discovery of novel methanotroph taxa through metagenome-assembled genome reconstruction, further insights into the role of lanthanides in methanotrophy, and further details on detection of the presence and activities of different guilds of methanotrophs across geochemical gradients. We also touch briefly on the novel developments in understanding of the communal function in methanotrophy, and on the role of model organisms in further advancements of our knowledge.