Credit: John Hersey

This spring, the National Research Council released a report titled "The New Science of Metagenomics: Revealing the Secrets of Our Microbial Planet." To many, the term "metagenomics" might seem abstract--after all, it does sound like "metaphysics." So what is microbial metagenomics, and what is its relevance to the future of biology, biological engineering, and biotechnology?

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