The field of microbial systematics viz., classification of organisms based on morphological traits is undergoing a major transition today wherein classical taxonomic methods are being augmented with complete genome sequence data. Such studies are revealing a surprisingly conserved core of genes/proteins/metabolic pathways between diverse life forms highlighting their underlying genetic relationships. A classification system that can consolidate traditional methods with phylogenetic knowledge is likely to provide a pan-genomic definition of species and therefore whole genome sequencing of microbes holds great promise for the future of systematics.
MTCC has a high-throughput genomics pipeline capable of deciphering the genomic content of many novel type genera and strains of microorganisms including several novel Indian isolates. The data generated through this effort will allow us to get a better understanding of the novelty of Indian microflora and allow us to explore biodiversity in addition to providing the first glimpse at the genomes of these novel microorganisms. This will also help us to gain insights into microbial metabolic pathways, biotechnological potentials, evolutionary aspects and their role in ecosystem.
Data from high throughput sequencing pipelines reveal interesting phylogenetic lineages that further benefit the field of microbial systematics.
