An emerging trend through the studies on yet-to-be cultured microorganisms

Abstract

Why are most of microorganisms yet-to-be cultivated? This question is often answered with the common cliché that many are recalcitrant to cultivation. While this may hold some truth, it is essential to note that the rapid increase in metagenome-assembled genomes (MAGs) without cultivation has surpassed the number of cultured microbes over the last decade. Contrasted with MAGs data, cultivation-dependent microbiology has maintained its classical methodologies, which may have substantial pitfalls. This review aims to provide an overview of these issues to gain a better understanding of the various facets of yet-to-be cultured microbes.