Microorganisms are fundamental to every aspect of life on earth and impact the dynamics and function of every niche in which they dwell, both host and environment associated. Knowledge on fish-associated microbes has grown significantly due to the advent of nucleic acid-based techniques. Rapid advances in the field of next-generation sequencing (NGS) based on marker-gene (16S rRNA) and whole genome shotgun metagenomics have allowed the investigation of fish microbiomes, as majority of microbes are uncultured. Microbial community has an important impact on the host health through its involvement in biological processes such as nutrient processing, detoxification, immune function and development. Interplay of a variety of factors such as surrounding water, host genetics, developmental stage, immune status, diet and trophic level determine the constitution of the fish microbiome. Thus, characterisation of diverse microbial communities of fish plays a crucial role in the better understanding of their functional relationship with the ecosystem.
The microbiome is influenced by a myriad of factors and is difficult to ascertain the individual effects of each of these factors. Despite the increasing research effort on the fish microbiome over the years, studying fish microbiome is still extremely challenging. As aquatic environments and the microbial assemblages in those environments are dynamic and diverse, it is difficult to monitor microorganisms outside the fish body. Individual variability in fish microbiome makes it a significant topic of research. Metagenomics, transcriptomics, metabolomics and other omics technologies paint a much better picture related to microbial diversity and functional potentials of microbes. Compared with the traditional methods of identifying microbial species (morphological observation and physiological biochemistry), molecular biology technology and high-throughput sequencing technology can help to screen the functional microorganisms more accurately. Since multi-omics-based approaches provide much more comprehensive information on identification of microbial species than single-omics, it has become imperative to study the recent advancements in these approaches in order to make fish microbiome research more effective.
We welcome reviews, mini-reviews and original research in the following areas of fish microbiome research:
• Community genomics, omics analysis of the microbiome and deciphering the ecological interactions.
• Molecular biology-biomolecules and biocatalysts, applications in aquaculture.
• Modulation in metabolism and physiology of the host
• Novel aspects of applied microbiology in relation to animal health, bio-defense, bio-transformation, bio-degradation and bio-remediation.
• Interactions between pathogenic microorganisms and their environment or host.
• Use of newer omics-technologies, approaches and new findings of significance to the field as a whole
This would serve as an opportunity for all researchers interested in this field to come together to learn about the recent advances and to discuss scientific ideas.
Microorganisms are fundamental to every aspect of life on earth and impact the dynamics and function of every niche in which they dwell, both host and environment associated. Knowledge on fish-associated microbes has grown significantly due to the advent of nucleic acid-based techniques. Rapid advances in the field of next-generation sequencing (NGS) based on marker-gene (16S rRNA) and whole genome shotgun metagenomics have allowed the investigation of fish microbiomes, as majority of microbes are uncultured. Microbial community has an important impact on the host health through its involvement in biological processes such as nutrient processing, detoxification, immune function and development. Interplay of a variety of factors such as surrounding water, host genetics, developmental stage, immune status, diet and trophic level determine the constitution of the fish microbiome. Thus, characterisation of diverse microbial communities of fish plays a crucial role in the better understanding of their functional relationship with the ecosystem.
The microbiome is influenced by a myriad of factors and is difficult to ascertain the individual effects of each of these factors. Despite the increasing research effort on the fish microbiome over the years, studying fish microbiome is still extremely challenging. As aquatic environments and the microbial assemblages in those environments are dynamic and diverse, it is difficult to monitor microorganisms outside the fish body. Individual variability in fish microbiome makes it a significant topic of research. Metagenomics, transcriptomics, metabolomics and other omics technologies paint a much better picture related to microbial diversity and functional potentials of microbes. Compared with the traditional methods of identifying microbial species (morphological observation and physiological biochemistry), molecular biology technology and high-throughput sequencing technology can help to screen the functional microorganisms more accurately. Since multi-omics-based approaches provide much more comprehensive information on identification of microbial species than single-omics, it has become imperative to study the recent advancements in these approaches in order to make fish microbiome research more effective.
We welcome reviews, mini-reviews and original research in the following areas of fish microbiome research:
• Community genomics, omics analysis of the microbiome and deciphering the ecological interactions.
• Molecular biology-biomolecules and biocatalysts, applications in aquaculture.
• Modulation in metabolism and physiology of the host
• Novel aspects of applied microbiology in relation to animal health, bio-defense, bio-transformation, bio-degradation and bio-remediation.
• Interactions between pathogenic microorganisms and their environment or host.
• Use of newer omics-technologies, approaches and new findings of significance to the field as a whole
This would serve as an opportunity for all researchers interested in this field to come together to learn about the recent advances and to discuss scientific ideas.