About this Research Topic
Microorganisms evolve very fast, most are difficult to culture, and the number of cells in a population and community can often be >10^9 cells/ml, all making studying the process of evolution and speciation difficult. While there are varying mechanisms and speeds of evolution, the processes of genetic change is consistent across the tree of life. Often researchers will examine more simple ecosystems and apply the principles learned to more complex systems, and these systems have often been employed to analyze microbial population genetics and patterns of biogeography. Modern molecular tools make examining this question more obtainable than ever. We will employ a variety of molecular methods such as 1) targeted gene studies of high-resolution genetic markers that look beyond the 16S rRNA level to map species-level populations relative to niche space, 2) looking at temporal gene fluctuations to determine if individuals within a predicted species are ecologically interchangeable (i.e. individuals in populations will change in unison over space and time), and 3) in depth analysis of acquired genomes to determine what makes closely related species different or better adapted to a given environmental niche.
In this Research Topic, we welcome Original Research papers, Opinion articles, mini Reviews and Reviews that cover molecular methods used to identify microbial species and algorithms used in microbial species prediction. We hope to continue the advancement towards understanding microbial species to understand the forces that led to genetic divergence and microbial speciation.
Thematic areas include:
• Targeted gene or multi-locus studies that attempt to define species-like populations.
• Temporal influence of species populations.
• Genome comparison studies to determine evolutionary rates and niche-specific adaptations.
• Measurements of horizontal gene transfer rates across populations and lineages in an environment.
• The use of algorithms that apply molecular cut offs that define species.
• Analysis of species-specific transcription patterns.
Keywords: Population genetics, genomics, microbial species, speciation, horizontal gene transfer
Important Note: All contributions to this Research Topic must be within the scope of the section and journal to which they are submitted, as defined in their mission statements. Frontiers reserves the right to guide an out-of-scope manuscript to a more suitable section or journal at any stage of peer review.