The Brachypodium reference genome was sequenced, assembled and annotated by the DOE JGI. This project builds upon the reference genome by generating gene regulatory networks in Brachypodium in order to identify genes capable of conferring enhanced traits in bioenergy crop plants. In particular, the project will focus on generating fundamental systems-level information on drought tolerance and water… [Read More]

The epigenome is comprised of chemical compounds that mark the genome with instructions such as what to do, and where and when to do it. A transcriptome is a collection of all the transcripts present in a given cell. When the epigenomic and transcriptomic responses of a cell to a stressor are recorded, they provide… [Read More]

The abundance of microorganisms in the atmosphere has lead to the hypothesis that airborne cells play significant roles in atmospheric chemistry, the water cycle, and climate. Supporting this idea are several bacterial species known to serve as efficient ice nuclei based on an excreted protein that can initiate ice formation and participate in cloud formation… [Read More]

Researchers have developed an exon orgenetic sequence that codes for protein synthesis and is derived from natural sequences found in plant genes. This exon technology allows for multi-parameter regulation of a gene of interest by any two promoters in plants. Two promoters, allowing the exon to perform what is known as “parallel promoter stacking”, can… [Read More]

Dothideomycete fungi are found in a wide range of environments and include both extremophiles and plant pathogens that pose a major threat to sustainable bioenergy production. One such fungus is Baudoinia compniacensis, which can survive temperatures over 50ºC after exposure to ethanol vapor. However, nothing is known about the genes induced by ethanol or how… [Read More]

Biofuels derived from plant biomass avoid many of the economic and environmental problems that plague traditional energy sources. However, existing technologies are insufficient to allow for industrial-scale conversion of plant waste into simple sugars and resulting conversion into renewable fuels. Researchers expect to help mitigate this issue by studying how anaerobic gut fungi break down… [Read More]

Terpenoids are one of five families of hydrocarbons produced by fungi that are of interest to bioenergy researchers either as biofuels or biofuel precursors. Terpenoids such as hydrogenated bisabolene have been suggested as a viable alternative to D2 and biodiesel fuels. These compounds hold promise as a renewable source of microbially synthesized biofuels. To remedy… [Read More]

Rust fungi (Pucciniales) are among the most important pathogens of many plants and trees of agricultural and ecological importance including DOE JGI Plant Flagship Genomes such as soybean, sorghum and poplar. The fungi are also known to have the most complex lifecycles among fungi. Understanding the molecular mechanisms that control interactions between plants and rust… [Read More]

Aspergilli fungi are widely used in the biotechnology industry, and are emerging as the best model systems for fungal comparative genomics. However, the evolution of Aspergilli is still understudied. The production of these bioenergy bioenzymes is regulated by general regulatory mechanisms of carbon catabolism, and Aspergillus species have become established model organisms for the study… [Read More]