The new science of metagenomics and the challenges of its use in both developed and developing countries

TL;DR

This paper discusses the transformative impact of next-generation sequencing on metagenomics, highlighting research advances, challenges in data analysis, and the importance of building scientific capacity in developing countries.

Contribution

It provides a comprehensive review of recent metagenomic research, analyzes challenges faced globally, and advocates for developing countries to build local expertise in this field.

Findings

Metagenomics reveals the microbiome's crucial role in health and environment.

Challenges include data analysis complexity and resource limitations.

Building local capacity benefits global scientific progress.

Abstract

Our view of the microbial world and its impact on human health is changing radically with the ability to sequence uncultured or unculturable microbes sampled directly from their habitats, ability made possible by fast and cheap next generation sequencing technologies. Such recent developments represents a paradigmatic shift in the analysis of habitat biodiversity, be it the human, soil or ocean microbiome. We review here some research examples and results that indicate the importance of the microbiome in our lives and then discus some of the challenges faced by metagenomic experiments and the subsequent analysis of the generated data. We then analyze the economic and social impact on genomic-medicine and research in both developing and developed countries. We support the idea that there are significant benefits in building capacities for developing high-level scientific research in metagenomics in developing countries. Indeed, the notion that developing countries should wait for developed countries to make advances in science and technology that they later import at great cost has recently been challenged.