Microbiologists propose new DNA-based naming system for microbes

A new system for naming certain microbes promises to streamline the process and relieve a backlog created by the thousands of species uncovered through DNA analyses in recent years. In a paper published today in Nature Microbiology , researchers describe SeqCode , a protocol that allows, for the first time, the naming of newly discovered bacteria and other prokaryotes based only on their DNA sequence. “I do think the SeqCode, or something like it, is necessary for microbiology today, due to the overwhelming dependence now on genomic data for analyzing microorganisms,” says Edward Moore, a microbiologist at the University of Gothenburg—but he’s still not ready to embrace this particular identification system. Until now, , microbiologists seeking acceptance that a seemingly novel single-cell microbe was real have had to follow the protocol outlined in the International Code of Nomenclature of Prokaryotes (ICNP). As part of the process, researchers must succeed in growing the species of bacteria, or other prokaryotes called archaea, in the lab and submit a “type” culture, a living or frozen sample of the microbe that would serve as a reference of its identity, to at least two world’s repositories. A published description in a scientific journal is also required and must be accepted by the International Committee on Systematics of Prokaryotes (ICSP), which administers the ICNP. However, with the rise of env...
Source: ScienceNOW - Category: Science Source Type: news