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The metagenomics revolution: an introduction
Metagenomics, the study of genetic material directly recovered from biological and environmental samples, is revolutionising biomedicine and environmental science. This free course will help you to learn how metagenomics works and how it can be used in a wide range of applications such as studying microbes, diagnosing disease, and contributing to biodiversity conservation.
Course learning outcomes
After studying this course, you should be able to:
- understand the basic concepts in metagenomics
- demonstrate an understanding of how metagenomics data are generated and interpreted
- explain the differences between metagenomics and targeted sequencing
- understand potential applications and limitations of metagenomics in microbiology, infectious diseases, and conservation science
- make sense of information presented in different ways, including written, numerical, and audio-visual.
First Published: 30/06/2026
Updated: 30/06/2026
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