According to an International Panel on Climate Change report, as much as 12 percent of methane, a greenhouse gas considered to be far more potent than carbon dioxide, is not included in the current budget of methane flux and sink that can be produced within the Earth’s crust by microbial processes. To better understand the…
Why sequence bacteria from Lake Washington sediments?
Bacteria known as methylotrophs use carbon compounds that are greenhouse gases and many of them are also have potential applications for cleaning up areas contaminated by hazardous pollutants such as halogenated methanes. To better understand how C1 compounds are involved in the global carbon cycle and to more accurately predict the global effects of environmental…
Why continue the GEBA project?
More than 100 microbes have been sequenced as part of the Genome Encyclopedia of Bacteria and Archaea (GEBA) project to provide information on unrepresented branches of the Tree of Life. Now the team plans to sequence another several dozen bacteria and archaea not just to increase the phylogenetic reference genomes but to also identify new…
Why sequence soil bacterial communities?
Members of the phylum Acidobacteria have been found in soils worldwide, and their sheer numbers suggest that they play ecologically significant roles though as yet undetermined in the soil environment. To better understanding the contributions of these bacteria to the terrestrial carbon cycle, as well as expand the Genome Encyclopedia of Bacteria and Archaea, several…
Why sequence bacteria from Lake Washington?
Previous collaborations between the University of Washington team and the DOE JGI involving both single genome and metagenomic sequencing have greatly enhanced the community’s ability to explore the diversity of bacteria functionally active in metabolism of single carbon compounds, known as methylotrophs, isolated from Lake Washington (Seattle, Washington) sediment. Sequencing genomes of 50 methylotroph isolates…
Why sequence abundant yet uncultured aquatic bacteria?
Lakes and other freshwaters play a crucial role in the global cycling of carbon and associated elements, and the microbes that inhabit these ecosystems are the key drivers of freshwater biogeochemical processes. To better understand how individual microbes and microbial groups evolve in response to environmental changes, and contribute to diversity and specific ecosystem functions,…
Why sequence yeast-like fungus A. pullulans?
This fungus thrives in a variety of environments and has been found on plants, PVC pipes and even on the walls of the Chernobyl nuclear power plant. The genomic information would be useful for researchers studying ionizing radiation and to understand the role this fungus plays in glacial habitats being affected by climate change. From…
Why sequence a cereal grain pathogen?
Cochliobolus fungi are cereal grain pathogens in the Dothideomycete family, and two of the fungi to be sequenced are maize pathogens, which is a significant component of the American economy, and not just because of the importance of maize for biofuel production. Additionally the fungal species selected for this project are also used as role…
Why sequence census of fungal biology?
Despite the large number of sequenced fungal genomes, the current taxonomic sampling is limited to well-characterized lineages of the Kingdom and many more poorly known lineages remain largely unexplored but may possess novel metabolisms associated with unique nutritional modes and ecologies. This project will cover a broad census of gene diversity, regulatory elements and genome…
Why sequence targeted gene study in closely related fungi?
Studying transcriptomes from four closely related species grown in a variety of manipulated ecosystems will help pinpoint specific genes expressed under these conditions which can in turn lead to a better understanding of enzymes involved in breaking down biomass as well as how fungi move carbon through soils. Principal Investigators: Anne Pringle, Harvard University Program:…