About 50 miles south of Albuquerque, New Mexico is the Sevilleta National Wildlife Refuge managed by the U.S. Department of the Interior, Fish and Wildlife Service. The region is the intersection of several regional ecosystems, including grasslands, woodlands and riparian vegetation. The location is ideal for researchers to study how climate variability and climate change…
Why sequence lignocellulolytic microbes from cow rumen?
One of the biggest challenges in making biofuels cost-effective is finding alternative methods for breaking down biomass, and particularly, materials such as lignocellulose that provide rigidity and structure to the plant cell walls. To find these alternative methods, many researchers are turning to natural refineries such as the cow rumen or forestomach to learn more…
Why sequence Great Boiling Spring sediment and water microbial communities?
The Great Boiling Spring in Nevada is host to a two-member water-borne microbial community and a sediment community, both of which contain uncultured representatives. Microbes from the sediment metagenome, for example, are poised to make a contribution to the DOE JGI’s ongoing Genomic Encyclopedia of Bacteria and Archaea project. This metagenomic project focuses on learning…
Why sequence dehalobacter-containing dechlorinating community?
One of the most common types of environmental contaminants, especially in groundwater, is chlorinated solvents. Often used as degreasing agents or for dry cleaning, these compounds have toxic properties and contaminate more than 50,000 groundwater sites throughout North America. Studies have identified several microbial species that can break down these compounds and harness the energy…
Why sequence viruses that infect freshwater cyanobacteria?
Cyanobacteria are important and diverse members of aquatic systems both in marine and freshwater environments. The viruses that infect cyanobacteria are known as cyanophages and they can impact global carbon cycling and climate change. For example, when the freshwater lakes are enriched in nutrients and minerals, the dominant cyanobacteria will bloom, impacting the water quality….
Why sequence metagenome function of the Earthworm egg capsule bacterial community?
Earthworms are common soil organisms that influence the fertility of soils by altering the nutrient availability to plants. These nutrients include forms of nitrogen, phosphorous and carbon. The microbial community within earthworms releases nitrous oxide, degrades cellulose, and stimulates the growth of fungi that can break down cellulose. The earthworm egg capsule microbial community represents…
Why sequence functional metagenomics of methane and nitrogen cycles in freshwater lakes?
Methane is a more potent greenhouse gas than carbon dioxide, but it is also a potential source of energy. Microbes found in marine or terrestrial environments that are involved in maintaining the levels of greenhouse gases such as methane, carbon dioxide and nitrous oxide are of interest to the U.S. Department of Energy for reasons…
Why sequence modern freshwater microbialites?
Microbialites resemble coral reefs but can also be found in freshwater systems. Composed of sediments built up over many hundreds of years and multiple interactions between microorganisms such as diatoms and cyanobacteria and minerals, they can sequester carbon through a process called biologically-mediated carbonate precipitation, though just how this is done is still poorly understood….
Why sequence Synechococcus cyanobacterial isolates?
For several decades, researchers have studied the microbial mat communities in hot springs at Yellowstone National Park. They’ve identified the dominant species in these communities and also found previously-unknown inhabitants of these mats that use light as an energy source. The finding is significant because bioenergy researchers are increasingly tapping microbial communities that perform photosynthesis…
Why resequence Actinobacillus succinogenes?
The development of alternative fuel sources has been driven by factors such as declining oil reserves, reliance on foreign countries for oil, and the environmental impact of oil-based industries. One of the DOE’s Top Value Added Chemicals from Biomass is succinate, which could replace an oil-based commodity chemical market for producing bulk chemicals valued at…