title: Metagenomics: Retrospect and Prospects in High Throughput Age.
abstract: In recent years, metagenomics has emerged as a powerful tool for mining of hidden microbial treasure in a culture independent manner. In the last two decades, metagenomics has been applied extensively to exploit concealed potential of microbial communities from almost all sorts of habitats. A brief historic progress made over the period is discussed in terms of origin of metagenomics to its current state and also the discovery of novel biological functions of commercial importance from metagenomes of diverse habitats. The present review also highlights the paradigm shift of metagenomics from basic study of community composition to insight into the microbial community dynamics for harnessing the full potential of uncultured microbes with more emphasis on the implication of breakthrough developments, namely, Next Generation Sequencing, advanced bioinformatics tools, and systems biology.
authors.affiliation: ICAR-National Institute of Abiotic Stress Management, Baramati, Pune, Maharashtra 413115, India.
authors.forename: Satish
authors.initials: S
authors.lastname: Kumar
authors.affiliation: ICAR-National Institute of Abiotic Stress Management, Baramati, Pune, Maharashtra 413115, India.
authors.forename: Kishore Kumar
authors.initials: KK
authors.lastname: Krishnani
authors.affiliation: ICAR-Central Institute of Post-Harvest Engineering and Technology, Abohar Station, Punjab 152116, India.
authors.forename: Bharat
authors.initials: B
authors.lastname: Bhushan
authors.affiliation: ICAR-National Institute of Abiotic Stress Management, Baramati, Pune, Maharashtra 413115, India.
authors.forename: Manoj Pandit
authors.initials: MP
authors.lastname: Brahmane