Terragenome—the Soil Metagenome Network.

The National Science Foundation recently funded a Research Coordination Network (RCN) to facilitate soil metagenomics studies. The RCN has sponsored workshops and sessions at a number of meetings this year, including a symposium at this year’s SSSA meeting. This poster introduces the TerraGenome RCN to the soil science community and solicits its input about the activities of the network. We anticipate that TerraGenome will accomplish its purpose by holding periodic meetings to plan strategies and share information, coordinating sequencing and bioinformatics activities, hosting workshops to train students and scientists in metagenomic analysis, and generally enhancing communication and information sharing through a website and list-server. The most fundamental impact of TerraGenome will be to build and support a diverse community of researchers in the U.S. and around the world who have an interest in uncovering the taxonomic and functional diversity of soil microorganisms. Bringing together this community, with scientists representing several disciplines, will help to train students and postdoctoral associates to tackle an inherently interdisciplinary question. This is most clearly demonstrated from the workshops it will sponsor. The TerraGenome website will broadly disseminate the products of our Network activities, with a special effort to provide web-based tools for use by K-12 educators and students. Through its activities TerraGenome will help to provide the genetic foundation to better understand the diversity of microbial processes upon which the health and functioning of the planet is based. For example, the processes involved in cycling carbon, nitrogen, sulfur, and other elements are key determinants of plant and ecosystem productivity. Practically, this translates into producing food and fiber for humanity. Furthermore, the huge diversity of soil organisms represents a relatively untapped reservoir of potentially useful microbial enzymes and products, such as enzymes for cellulosic energy production, and antibiotics and other pharmaceuticals.