Research Project
Full description ARC DP120103498 - Genome sequencing has revolutionised biology, but for most microorganisms this revolution has not arrived because the majority cannot be grown in the laboratory. This project will address this grand challenge by targeted sequencing of single cells from the environment that will fill in many major gaps in the microbial tree of life. ARC DP1093175 - Microorganisms underpin life on Earth, but our understanding of their diversity and activity is limited by our inability to grow most of them in the laboratory. Recently, new techniques have emerged that allow access to the genetic information of all microorganisms by directly sequencing DNA and RNA from the environment. In this research we will further develop these frontier technologies, promoting this new area of science in Australia. We will apply these techniques to microbial communities involved in wastewater treatment in order to understand the interactions between microorganisms and the viruses that infect them. Understanding this interaction will have important implications for optimising these treatment processes.