title: From Woese to Wired: the unexpected payoffs of basic research.
abstract: Fundamental observations about nature sometimes take a circuitous and utterly unpredictable course from bright idea to demonstrably practical impact. The tale of how Carl Woese's basic insights about microbial diversity eventually contributed to the emergence of a new field of science with numerous potential applications is just such a story.
authors.affiliation: National Center for Science Education; Oakland, CA USA.
authors.forename: Ann
authors.initials: A
authors.lastname: Reid
mesh_terms: D005075:Biological Evolution; D049673:History, 20th Century; D056186:Metagenomics / Q000379:methods; D010802:Phylogeny; D012336:RNA, Ribosomal, 16S / Q000032:analysis / Q000235:genetics*; D021521:Ribotyping / Q000266:history*
chemical_list: D012336:RNA, Ribosomal, 16S
keywords: 16S rRNA; archaea; bacteria; metagenomics; microbial ecology; microbiome; phylogeny