The advent of Genomics marks a gear shift in Biology. However, no biological science has been more affected than Microbiology. Microbial genomes are small and hence hundreds are (or will soon be) available. On the other hand, the morphological simplicity and metabolic diversity of prokaryotes makes them particularly easy to interpret from a Genomic approach. Prokaryotic microbes will be, with all probability, the first living organisms in which a Genomic Biology will be developed. And from all the aspects of prokaryotic biology that will benefit from that understanding their evolution will be one of the most deeply affected.
The Evolutionay Genomics Group of Universidad Miguel Hernández has been created with the aims of exploiting the vast richness of information that the growing database of microbial genomes is generating to understand how these microbes evolve and adapt to their specific environments. On the other hand, the roots of the group are in Microbiology, and this is our main scope i.e. the biological (holistic if you wish) understanding of microbial evolution. However, to achieve this understanding we will be deeply involved with Bioinformatics and database development and management, that together with high throughput sequencing and Microbial Ecology will form the methodological framework of the group. The study of microbes in their natural environment by metagenomics and more classical, culture based, approaches represent also one of the axis of the group endeavours. The biogeography of environmentally relevant microbes and their microdiversity is another important avenue from which we hope to improve our understanding of microbial evolution.
The impacts of a better understanding of microbial evolution for human welfare are potentially enormous. Infectious diseases are still one of the main killers of mankind, particularly in developing countries, but more and more in the developed world. Both therapy and prevention of these diseases require a better understanding of microbial evolution. Besides, for more immediate application the exploitation of metagenomic libraries and culture collections for bioprospecting will always be included as side benefits of the group activities.