title: Microbial genomes: dealing with diversity.
abstract: We have now complete genome sequences of several pairs of closely related prokaryotes (conspecific strains or congeneric species). Surprisingly, even strains of the same species can differ by as much as 20% in gene content. Conceptual and methodological approaches for dealing with such diversity are now being developed, and should transform microbial genomics.
authors.affiliation: Canadian Institute for Advanced Research Program in Evolutionary Biology, Department of Biochemistry and Molecular Biology, Dalhousie University, Halifax, Nova Scotia BSH 4H7, Canada.
authors.forename: Y
authors.initials: Y
authors.lastname: Boucher
authors.forename: C L
authors.initials: CL
authors.lastname: Nesbø
authors.forename: W F
authors.initials: WF
authors.lastname: Doolittle
mesh_terms: D019143:Evolution, Molecular; D014644:Genetic Variation; D005827:Genetics, Microbial; D016680:Genome, Bacterial; D023281:Genomics; D006801:Humans; D009693:Nucleic Acid Hybridization; D020411:Oligonucleotide Array Sequence Analysis; D017421:Sequence Analysis