Genome sequencing enhances our understanding of the biological world providing blueprints for the evolutionary and functional diversity that shapes the biosphere as well as the biology of humans. I will describe the use of large scale metagenomics and single-cell genomics to explore uncultivated archaeal and bacterial cells from mutiple diverse habitats. These analyses have significantly increased the genomic representation of the tree of life as well as provided a systematic step towards a better understanding of biological evolution on our planet.
In addition I will describe work on the human genome exploring the role of non-coding gene regulatory sequences in normal and disease states using genetically engineered mice.