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Metagenomics Mini-Course

Curriculum

  • 12 Sections
  • 33 Lessons
  • 10 Minutes
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  • Course Overview
    1
    • 1.1
      The Fascinating Field of Metagenomics
      10 Minutes
  • The Invisible World
    2
    • 2.1
      Welcome to Metagenomics: The Invisible World
      10 mins
    • 2.2
      The World Beyond Our Sight (Video)
      10 Minutes
  • Lab Foundations
    3
    • 3.1
      Metric System, Volume, Weight & Pipetting
      10 mins
    • 3.2
      Mastering the Pipette
      10 Minutes
    • 3.3
      The Value of Meticulous Measurement
      10 Minutes
  • DNA and Genomic DNA
    3
    • 4.1
      DNA & Genomic DNA: The Code Behind the Sample
      10 mins
    • 4.2
      What Is DNA? — Quick Review
      10 Minutes
    • 4.3
      The Code Behind the Sample (Video)
      10 Minutes
  • Site Selection & Field Sampling
    3
    • 5.1
      Learning Outcomes
      10 mins
    • 5.2
      Site Selection: A Walkthrough
      10 mins
    • 5.3
      Field Sampling: Hands-On Practice
      10 mins
  • DNA Extraction from Soil
    3
    • 6.1
      Learning Outcomes
      10 mins
    • 6.2
      DNA Extraction Walkthrough
      10 mins
    • 6.3
      DNA Extraction: Hands-On Practice
      10 mins
  • Quantitation and Nanodrop Analysis
    3
    • 7.1
      Learning Outcomes
      10 mins
    • 7.2
      Nanodrop Quantitation Walkthrough
      10 mins
    • 7.3
      Nanodrop Quantitation: Hands-On Practice
      10 mins
  • PCR: Testing DNA Purity
    3
    • 8.1
      Learning Outcomes
      10 mins
    • 8.2
      PCR Purity Walkthrough
      10 mins
    • 8.3
      PCR Purity: Hands-On Practice
      10 mins
  • Agarose Gel Electrophoresis
    3
    • 9.1
      Learning Outcomes
      10 mins
    • 9.2
      Gel Electrophoresis Walkthrough
      10 mins
    • 9.3
      Gel Electrophoresis: Hands-On Practice
      10 mins
  • Oxford Nanopore Library Prep
    3
    • 10.1
      Learning Outcomes
      10 mins
    • 10.2
      Nanopore Library Prep Walkthrough
      10 mins
    • 10.3
      Nanopore Library Prep: Hands-On Practice
      10 mins
  • Final Quantification
    3
    • 11.1
      Learning Outcomes
      10 mins
    • 11.2
      Final Quantification Walkthrough
      10 mins
    • 11.3
      Final Quantification: Hands-On Practice
      10 mins
  • Bioinformatics
    3
    • 12.1
      Learning Outcomes
      10 mins
    • 12.2
      Bioinformatics Walkthrough
      10 mins
    • 12.3
      Bioinformatics: Hands-On Practice
      10 mins

The Fascinating Field of Metagenomics

Metagenomics Mini-Course

The Fascinating Field of Metagenomics

🕐 2 min read
The Big Question
How do we explore the unseen microbial worlds that shape our planet, and what tools help us discover their secrets?
💡 Did You Know?
Metagenomics allows scientists to explore the diversity and function of microbial communities in their natural habitats.
MetagenomicsThe study of genetic material recovered directly from environmental samples, bypassing the need for lab cultivation of individual species.

COURSE OVERVIEW

Get ready to embark on an exciting journey into the hidden world of microbes. This mini-course will guide you through the complete process of metagenomic analysis, from initial sample collection to extracting biological insights. Here’s a glimpse of the 11 lessons awaiting you:
  • Lesson 1 Welcome to Metagenomics: Discovering the Invisible World
  • Lesson 2 Lab Foundations: Metric System, Volume, Weight, and Pipetting
  • Lesson 3 DNA and Genomic DNA: The Code Behind the Sample
  • Lesson 4 Site Selection and Field Sampling
  • Lesson 5 DNA Extraction from Soil
  • Lesson 6 DNA Quantitation and Nanodrop Analysis
  • Lesson 7 PCR: Testing DNA Purity
  • Lesson 8 Agarose Gel Electrophoresis
  • Lesson 9 Oxford Nanopore Library Prep
  • Lesson 10 Adapter Ligation, Quantification & Sequencing
  • Lesson 11 Bioinformatics
Metagenomics is revolutionizing fields from medicine to environmental science. Imagine discovering new antibiotics in soil, understanding gut microbiome health, or tracking pollution sources – all by analyzing DNA directly from the environment.
Welcome to Metagenomics: Discovering the Invisible World.
Which lesson title excites you the most, and why? What specific questions or expectations do you have for that lesson?
0 words Take your time — depth matters more than length
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Interaction Portfolio

A live sample of the 7 interactive widgets we can place (the video player above is the eighth). The course normally display 1–3 per lesson.

1 · Knowledge Check (quiz)

+50 XP

What does metagenomics sequence from an environmental sample?

Review the Metagenomics definition above.

2 · True / False — Myth or Fact?

Myth or Fact?

Metagenomics requires culturing each microbe in the lab before its DNA can be sequenced.

Myth — metagenomics reads DNA straight from the sample, capturing the >99% of microbes that resist lab culture.

3 · Fill-in-the-Blank

Fill in the blank

Metagenomics studies genetic material recovered directly from samples, including organisms that cannot be in a lab.

4 · Predict & Reveal

Make a prediction

Roughly what fraction of environmental microbes can be grown in standard lab culture?

Less than 1% — the “great plate count anomaly,” and exactly why culture-independent metagenomics opened up the microbial world.

5 · Flashcard deck

Flashcard

Metagenome

Tap to reveal
Answer

The collective genomes of all microorganisms in an environmental sample.

Flashcard

16S rRNA gene

Tap to reveal
Answer

A conserved marker gene used to identify and classify bacteria and archaea.

6 · Open Question

In your own words, why does reading DNA directly from a sample reveal more diversity than culturing?

0 words

7 · Confidence Check

Quick self-check

How confident are you that you can explain what a metagenome is?

Not yetVery confident
End of lesson Ready for the next lesson?
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Welcome to Metagenomics: The Invisible World
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