Microbial dark matter coming to light: challenges and opportunities

Microbes are the most abundant and diverse cellular life forms on Earth and colonize a wide range of environmental niches. However, more than 99% of bacterial and archaeal species have not been obtained in pure culture [1] and we have only glimpsed the surface of this mysterious microbial world. This is so-called Microbial Dark Matter (MDM): the enormous diversity of yet-uncultivated microbes that microbiologists can only study by using...