Comparative genomics identifies sequences involved in photosynthesis under reduced water conditions. The Science In the presence of sufficient water and light, most plants conduct photosynthesis through what is known as the C3 pathway. As plants spread out and adapted to live in a variety of environments, they developed alternate photosynthesis pathways, known as C4 and… [Read More]
Nitrite-oxidizing bacteria have bigger role in marine carbon cycle than previously thought The Science Researchers have identified the most abundant and globally distributed nitrite-oxidizing bacteria (NOB) in the oceans, through single-cell genomics and community meta-omics. They have also calculated the NOB’s contribution toward trapping carbon beneath the sunlit waters and determined that though these bacteria… [Read More]
“JGI has phenomenal scientists and staff who are part of our dream team.” How long have you collaborated with the JGI? I have been involved with the JGI Community Science Program (CSP) since 2012. I am involved in two JGI projects. The first one is the Brassicales Map Alignment Project (BMAP), which was funded… [Read More]
Comparative genomics involving humongous fungus helps explain evolution of Armillaria Among the contenders for the world’s largest living organism is something usually considered much smaller than a blue whale, or a towering sequoia. This particular organism is so big, one needs an aerial map to grasp its size, and even then it’s not completely visible… [Read More]
“If we can assemble genomes, we can learn some of these strategies to reduce bias.” I study the role of secondary metabolites, especially defensive chemistry and how they influence plant-fungal interactions. For my Ph.D., I’m studying a mushroom called Amanita phalloides, the death cap mushroom. It’s native to Europe but it was brought overseas… [Read More]
Freezer Preventive Monitoring Program A Model of Berkeley Lab Energy Efficiency Efforts It’s a common scene in popular culture, and it likely plays out in your own home: someone looking for a snack holds the refrigerator door open so long that eventually someone else complains that its cold enough for penguins to migrate from the… [Read More]
Virophage database doubles with discovery in freshwater lakes datasets. In freshwater lakes, microbes regulate the flow of carbon and determine if the bodies of water serve as carbon sinks or carbon sources. Algae and cyanobacteria in particular can trap and use carbon, but their capacity to do so may be impacted by viruses. Viruses exist… [Read More]
Genome analysis of early plant lineage sheds light on how plants learned to thrive on land. Though it’s found around the world, it’s easy to overlook the common liverwort – the plant can fit in the palm of one’s hand and appears to be comprised of flat, overlapping leaves. Despite their unprepossessing appearance, these plants… [Read More]
Establishing a genome-wide map of bacterial genes crucial for colonization of plants by beneficial microbes The Science Working with the plant growth-promoting bacterium Pseudomonas simiae, researchers have identified 115 genes that negatively affect its ability to colonize a plant root system when mutated. The Impact A plant’s health and development is influenced by the complex… [Read More]
Community-driven CAMI Challenge offers analysts, scientists insights on the right tools for their research questions. They are everywhere, but invisible to the naked eye. Microbes are the unseen, influential forces behind the regulation of key environmental processes such as the carbon cycle, yet most of them remain unknown. For more than a decade, the U.S…. [Read More]