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Better Sludge through Metagenomics

WALNUT CREEK, CA–Few stop to consider the consequences of their daily ablutions, the washing of clothes, the watering of lawns, and the flush of a toilet. However, wastewater treatment–one of the corner stones of modern civilization–is the largest microbially mediated biotechnology process on the planet. When it works, it is a microbial symphony in tune… [Read More]

No Guts, No Worries: Worm Enlists Full-Service Microbes for Transportation, Energy, & Waste Management

WALNUT CREEK, CA–Researchers have now characterized the unique lifestyle of a gutless worm that commutes through marine sediments powered by a community of symbiotic microbial specialists harbored just under its skin, obviating the need for digestive and excretory systems. From a species of marine oligochaete worm isolated off of the coast of Elba, the Mediterranean… [Read More]

The First Tree Genome is Published

WALNUT CREEK, CA–Wood from a common tree may one day factor prominently in meeting transportation fuel needs, according to scientists whose research on the fast-growing poplar tree is featured on the cover of tomorrow’s edition of the journal Science. The article, highlighting the analysis of the first complete DNA sequence of a tree, the black… [Read More]

DOE JGI, VBI Describe Evolutionary Origin, Disease-Causing Mechanisms of Sudden Oak Death, Related Soybean Disease Pathogens

WALNUT CREEK, CA–By comparing the complete genome sequences of two plant-killing pathogens and related organisms, researchers from the U.S. Department of Energy Joint Genome Institute (DOE JGI), in collaboration with the Virginia Bioinformatics Institute (VBI) and others, have uncovered crucial aspects of the disease-causing mechanisms of “Sudden Oak Death” (SOD) and soybean root rot disease…. [Read More]

DOE JGI Sequences, Releases Genome of Symbiotic Tree Fungus

WALNUT CREEK, CA–The DNA sequence of Laccaria bicolor, a fungus that forms a beneficial symbiosis with trees and inhabits one of the most ecologically and commercially important microbial niches in North American and Eurasian forests, has been determined by the U.S. Department of Energy Joint Genome Institute (DOE JGI). The complete Laccaria genome sequence was… [Read More]

Energy-rich Portfolio of New Genome Sequencing Targets for DOE JGI

WALNUT CREEK, CA–Bioenergy crop plants switchgrass and cassava, other important agricultural commodities such as cotton, and microbes geared to break down plant material to render biofuels, round out the roster of more than 40 projects to be tackled by the U.S. Department of Energy Joint Genome Institute (DOE JGI) over the next year. Drawing submissions… [Read More]

DOE JGI Releases IMG 1.5 with Curated Archaeal Genomes

WALNUT CREEK, CA–Version 1.5 of the Integrated Microbial Genomes (IMG) data management system of the U.S. Department of Energy Joint Genome Institute (DOE JGI) has been released to the public. IMG 1.5 now contains a total of 741 genomes (435 bacterial, 32 archaeal, 15 eukaryotic genomes and 259 bacterial phages) of which 602 are finished… [Read More]

DOE JGI Finishes 100th Microbial Genome

ORLANDO, Florida — Microbes, thriving in even the world’s most extreme environments, are capable of performing myriad biological functions, learned over the billions of years they have inhabited the planet. Those lessons, and how they can be captured to render clean renewable sources of energy and to repair damaged environments, are among the many secrets… [Read More]

DOE JGI to Host Microbial Genomics Workshop for Educators in Recognition of Earth Day & National DNA Day

WALNUT CREEK, CA–The DOE Joint Genome Institute (DOE JGI) every year reveals the wonders of DNA sequencing to thousands of avid students, teachers, researchers, and community members drawn through the portal of its Walnut Creek, Calif., Production Genomics Facility. Visitors often ask the question: what becomes of those billions of letters of genetic information churning… [Read More]

DOE JGI Releases Experimental Metagenomics Data Management & Analysis System

WALNUT CREEK, CA–To tackle the computational challenges of analyzing the complex world of microbial communities, the U.S. Department of Energy Joint Genome Institute (DOE JGI) has released to the worldwide research community IMG/M, an experimental metagenome data management and analysis system. IMG/M integrates aggregate genome (also known as metagenome) data from diverse environmental microbial communities… [Read More]