Metagenomics approaches in microbial ecology and research for sustainable agriculture

Robert Meunier; Saliha Bayır

doi:10.14512/tatup.30.2.24

Authors

Robert Meunier Institute of Philosophy, University of Kassel (DE) https://orcid.org/0000-0002-4026-6167 robert.meunier@uni-kassel.de
Saliha Bayir Institute of Philosophy, University of Kassel (DE) https://orcid.org/0000-0002-8105-0215 saliha.bayir@uni-kassel.de

DOI:

https://doi.org/10.14512/tatup.30.2.24

Keywords:

basic vs. applied science, metagenomics, microbial ecology, sustainable agriculture

Abstract

Technologies such as next generation sequencing (NGS) are transforming research fields at the methodological, conceptual, and organizational level. They open up new possibilities and bring with them new commitments and inherent limitations. We show from a philosophy of science perspective how NGS-based metagenomics has transformed microbial ecology and, with it, parts of agricultural soil science, which integrate ecological approaches with the aim to inform agricultural practices. We reconstruct agricultural science as design science (sensu Niiniluoto) and describe how the possibilities, commitments, and limitations of metagenomics approaches in microbial ecology shape values, situation assessments, and recommendations for interventions of soil microbiology in the context of sustainable agriculture.

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