title: A great leap forward in microbial ecology.
abstract: Ribosomal RNA (rRNA) sequence-based molecular techniques emerged in the late 1980s, which completely changed our general view of microbial life. Coincidentally, the Japanese Society of Microbial Ecology (JSME) was founded, and its official journal "Microbes and Environments (M&E)" was launched, in 1985. Thus, the past 25 years have been an exciting and fruitful period for M&E readers and microbiologists as demonstrated by the numerous excellent papers published in M&E. In this minireview, recent progress made in microbial ecology and related fields is summarized, with a special emphasis on 8 landmark areas; the cultivation of uncultured microbes, in situ methods for the assessment of microorganisms and their activities, biofilms, plant microbiology, chemolithotrophic bacteria in early volcanic environments, symbionts of animals and their ecology, wastewater treatment microbiology, and the biodegradation of hazardous organic compounds.
authors.affiliation: Faculty of Engineering, Hokkaido University, Sapporo, Hokkaido 060–8628, Japan. sokabe@eng.hokudai.ac.jp
authors.forename: Satoshi
authors.initials: S
authors.lastname: Okabe
authors.forename: Mamoru
authors.initials: M
authors.lastname: Oshiki
authors.forename: Yoichi
authors.initials: Y
authors.lastname: Kamagata
authors.forename: Nobuyasu
authors.initials: N
authors.lastname: Yamaguchi
authors.forename: Masanori
authors.initials: M
authors.lastname: Toyofuku
authors.forename: Yutaka
authors.initials: Y
authors.lastname: Yawata
authors.forename: Yosuke
authors.initials: Y
authors.lastname: Tashiro
authors.forename: Nobuhiko
authors.initials: N
authors.lastname: Nomura
authors.forename: Hiroyuki
authors.initials: H
authors.lastname: Ohta
authors.forename: Moriya
authors.initials: M
authors.lastname: Ohkuma
authors.forename: Akira
authors.initials: A
authors.lastname: Hiraishi
authors.forename: Kiwamu
authors.initials: K
authors.lastname: Minamisawa
mesh_terms: D001419:Bacteria / Q000235:genetics / Q000254:growth & development / Q000302:isolation & purification*; D018441:Biofilms; D004463:Ecology; D004783:Environmental Microbiology; D013559:Symbiosis