Current Progress of Microbial genomics Research in China

摘要

"The uniqueness of its research objects has predetermined the two major characteristics of microbiology as a nature science discipline. On one hand, as the simplest living organisms of the earth, microbes have become the irreplaceable basic research materials of life sciences and thus microbiology has long been considered one of the fundamental disciplines of life sicences. On the other hand, the tremendous diversity of microbial world was developed based on its rich diversity of metabolism, which in turn has nurtured its very close relationships with activities of human, animals, plants and environment. Therefore, microbiology has long been a vigorous discipline in the research area of applied sciences." (Application Guide Lines for Projects of Microbiology, in Guide Lines for Projects of National Nature Sciences foundation, 1999). Recently, encouraged by the rapid progress of the Human Genome Project (HGP) based upon its unique advantageous characteristics, microbiology is quickly entering the era of genomics and postgenomics.