Purdy, Kevin J., Hurd, Paul J., Moya-Laraño, Jordi, Trimmer, Mark, Oakley, Brian B. and Woodward, Guy. (2010) Systems biology for ecology : from molecules to ecosystems. Advances in Ecological Research, Vol.43 . pp. 87-149. ISSN 0065-2504

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Abstract

Ecology stands on the edge of a true paradigm shift, fuelled by a recent technological revolution in our ability to measure both taxonomic and functional biodiversity via the application of metagenomics and transcriptomics. The advent of ‘next generation sequencing’ (NGS) in molecular biology is rapidly opening the black box of microbial ecology, providing us with some of the first glimpses of a previously hidden world. This is now enabling microbial ecology to become firmly embedded as a core subdiscipline within ecology, and to test general theories about biodiversity, biogeography and ecosystem functioning using a combination of molecular and more traditional techniques. In addition, NGS offers a means of not only measuring the abundance and diversity of the main drivers of many of the planet's key biogeochemical processes, but also of linking the microscopic and macroscopic worlds that have, until now, been largely studied in isolation. We provide a detailed review of the rise of NGS, as well as highlighting areas that offer special promise for addressing general ecological questions across a range of levels of organisation, from individuals to ecosystems: essentially, how a ‘systems biology for ecology’ might be developed. We consider the current limitations and future prospects for NGS, and also how it offers potential economic benefits, for instance via bioprospecting the environment for commercially valuable genes and their products within the metagenome of natural ecosystems.

Item Type:	Journal Article
Subjects:	Q Science > Q Science (General)
Divisions:	Faculty of Science > Life Sciences (2010- )
Journal or Publication Title:	Advances in Ecological Research
Publisher:	Elsevier
ISSN:	0065-2504
Book Title:	Integrative Ecology: From Molecules to Ecosystems
Date:	2010
Volume:	Vol.43
Number of Pages:	13
Page Range:	pp. 87-149
Identification Number:	10.1016/B978-0-12-385005-8.00003-4
Status:	Peer Reviewed
Publication Status:	Published
Access rights to Published version:	Restricted or Subscription Access
URI:	http://wrap.warwick.ac.uk/id/eprint/42265

Data sourced from Thomson Reuters' Web of Knowledge

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