Metagenomics
The advanced scientific testing that encompasses an entire environment vs. a single organism. Think of traditional DNA testing on steroids. The ability to understand an environment vs. a single organism is paramount. It allows one to have a much broader and detailed picture of the subject.
Metagenomic testing can be used for testing the ocean, a swab from an object, the human microbiome, and for our purposes, the soil. The information obtained from this testing is vast. Thus, making it rather expensive and often providing a data overload. However, the information obtained can be incredibly valuable. The “testing” is referred to as “sequencing”.
Utilizing DNA and RNA testing, metagenomics allows the study of an entire microbial community and all life in the soil. Thus, removing the need to analyze each individual species. This breakthrough analyses gives a view as to how all of the organisms function together as a whole vs. as individuals. It provides details on how the community functions as a whole.
Metagenomic Soil Analyses
As it relates to the study of soil and agriculture, it allows us to better understand how we can facilitate optimal healthy soil. Thus, reducing the loss of crops due to disease, pests, and under or over watering. Fungi and Bacteria in the soil can exceed one billion per gram of soil. If a virus were added the volume becomes astronomical.
Current metagenomic datasets are complex and vast and contain millions of DNA sequences. Current tools struggle with the volume and complexity of the data. Analyzing only a portion of the information necessary for understanding a soil sample’s complexities.
Agricultural Advantages
Current testing has shown that we can positively adjust the soil’s microbiome by adding graphite mine tailings. Thus, mitigating crop disease and enhancing crop production. Additionally, the need to use traditional fertilizers is greatly minimized.
Take the “banana apocalypse” of 2024, for instance. Phys.org discusses the extinction and near extinction of banana varieties from the 1950’s and 2024 due to disease and pathogens. However, Greensmiths metagenomic testing shows that graphite mine tailings could radically change the landscape, for banana crops across the globe, as we know it. This game changer would also benefit the amount of food we could produce globally. Undoubtedly, having a significant impact on food deficiencies across the world.
“Citrus greening” is another example of food crops that suffer, and eventually die, because there is no known cure for the disease. This disease devastates citrus crops not only in the US but across the globe.
While further testing is needed, initial metagenomic testing is showing significant signs that graphite mine tailings may hold the key to eradicating these and other diseases that jeopardize our global food supply.
How Elon Musk Will Save The World
The announcement of Musk’s “Gigafactory of Compute”, set to launch in 2025, includes the purpose of understanding the universe. The supercomputer’s speed and power, coupled with Artificial Intelligence, could solve most all of the issues of current metagenomics issues and could potentially address all the world’s needs for food production.
Medical advances will flourish with this preventative data and reduce the trial and error basis of current drug development.
Controlling food borne illnesses with rapid testing of pathogens is another potential advantage of metagenomics.
Essentially all factors of life could be defined and addressed. Thus, bringing an economic revolution.
All of this from the Genius of Elon.
The Human Microbiome & Metagenomics
This video on the human microbiome and metagenomics is an excellent resource that better explains some of the advantages of this sequencing. You can easily see how having this advanced testing as a tool, allows us to make scientific advancements in a variety of settings.
We are finding this true when it comes to understanding soil as it pertains to agriculture. Even further, with the results of the analyses, we can make necessary adjustments to the soil that will drastically reduce disease, pests, and watering issues, as discussed previously.
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