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Ehux – The Alga of Many Faces

Known by the researchers who sequenced it at the Department of Energy Joint Genome Institute as “The Beast”, and considered the “Flowers of the Ocean” by others, Emiliania huxleyi has proved to be a single-celled coccolithophore of many faces. The third most abundant group of phytoplankton, Ehux is the basis of most ocean food chains,… [Read More]

Capsella provides insight into the genomic results of selfing

About 200,000 years ago, Capsella rubella began self fertilizing and split from C. grandiflora. To study the effects of selfing on C. rubella’s genome, the Department of Energy Joint Genome Institute sequenced and compared it with C. grandiflora and members of the closely related Arabidopsis genus – the first plant ever sequenced and model species… [Read More]

Chalking up a Marine Blooming Alga: Genome Fills a Gap in the Tree of Life

To World War II soldiers, “The White Cliffs of Dover” was a morale-boosting song that lifted spirits in dark times. To geographers, the white cliffs mark the point at which England is closest to continental Europe. To scientists, the white cliffs are towering structures made of the chalky, white shells that envelop the single-celled photosynthetic… [Read More]

Fungal genome offers clues on how leaf-cutter ants farm

Leaf-cutter ants are well-known examples of insects that use microbes to gain access to nutrients, farming “gardens” in which bacteria and fungi break down plant mass. In an article featured on the cover of the June 2013 issue of Applied Environmental Microbiology, a team including DOE Joint Genome Institute researchers and longtime collaborators at the Great… [Read More]

Microbial genomes help propose phylum name

Metagenomicsand single-cell genomics are tools helping researchers learn more about the “biological dark matter” that has not been cultivated and studied in the laboratory. In an article published May 14, 2013 in Nature Communications. [Read More]

The DOE Joint Genome Institute Expands Capabilities via New Partnerships

With the publication last year of its strategic plan, “Forging the Future — A Ten-Year Strategic Vision” the U.S. Department of Energy Joint Genome Institute (DOE JGI) has positioned itself to provide the most current technology and expertise to their users so that they can address pressing energy and environmental scientific challenges. An important early… [Read More]

A New Cost-Effective Genome Assembly Process

The U.S. Department of Energy Joint Genome Institute (DOE JGI) is among the world leaders in sequencing the genomes of microbes, focusing on their potential applications in the fields of bioenergy and environment. As a national user facility, the DOE JGI is also focused on developing tools that more cost-effectively enable the assembly and analysis… [Read More]

Marine metagenome offers clues to ocean nitrogen cycle

Nitrification is the process by which ammonia is converted first into nitrites and then into nitrates, a form of nitrogen that can then be used by plants to grow. However, understanding how the nitrogen cycle works in marine environments is equally crucial. Until 1977, scientists believed that ammonium could only be oxidized by aerobic bacteria…. [Read More]