[Note: This article originally appeared in the Autumn 2013 issue of the JGI Primer.] Life on Earth finds a way to survive almost anywhere there is a source of energy to support it. In Yellowstone National Park (YNP), this phenomenon is in the extreme by microorganisms that thrive in harsh, acidic hot springs found unsuitable…
Beetle gut microbes bore through woody tissues
Profile of wood-boring beetle’s midgut microbial community identifies candidate genes involved in processes including lignin degradation The Science Metagenomics allowed researchers to conduct a functional analysis of the midgut microbial community in the Asian longhorned beetle (Anoplophora glabripennis), an invasive insect that feeds on lignin in deciduous trees such as poplars and willows. The Impact…
POPSEQ for Plant Genome Assembly
New approach allows researchers to work on many species regardless of sequence resources The Science Plant genomics researchers evaluated POPSEQ, a method for assembling complex plant genomes using next-generation sequencing. The Impact Using a large, complex and highly-repetitive plant genome, the findings yielded results comparable to the previously assembled sequence. The proof of principle demonstrates…
Subsurface Sediment Yields Novel Organism
Metagenomic analysis emphasizes the “extraordinary microbial novelty” of poorly-explored subsurface ecosystems The Science Through metagenomics, researchers reconstructed a dominant organism and member of a new phylum-level lineage from an aquifer sediment in Colorado. The Impact Analysis of the complete microbial genome led to a detailed metabolic model with evidence for multiple new enzymes and pathways….
Microbial dark matter study in Treehugger
“Space comes to mind as the last frontier for finding new forms of life, but we still have not explored all of the planet on which we are living. Biologists venture to places both extreme and mundane in the quest to learn more about Earth. Courtesy of the DOE Joint Genome Institute, here is a photo…
Hope for Re-establishing Gulf of Mexico Microbial Populations
Comparative Analysis Shows Petroleum Reduced Species Diversity The Science Researchers used metatranscriptomic analyses to compare the microbial populations in the Gulf of Mexico before and after the Deepwater Horizon oil spill to learn more about the impact of adding petroleum to the waters. The Impact Though the oil spill reduced the diversity of the microbial…
Solving the Secrets of Sedimentary Microbes
Microbes from Phylum Chloroflexi Provide Clues to Carbon Cycling, Respiration in Sediments The Science Through metagenomics, researchers sequenced 86 organisms from the phylum Chloroflexi that represent 15 distinct lineages in order to discover the secrets of microbial life within terrestrial aquifer sediment deposits. The Impact These Chloroflexi microbes were found to have metabolic processes involved…
DOE JGI Extends the Capabilities of the Integrated Microbial Genome (IMG) System, Updates the IMG/M Metagenome System, Launches Education Site
WALNUT CREEK, CA—The U.S. Department of Energy Joint Genome Institute (DOE JGI) has extended the capabilities of the Integrated Microbial Genomes (IMG) data management system, updated the content of the IMG/M metagenome data management and analysis system, and has launched its educational companion site, IMG/EDU. Version 2.6 of IMG includes new microbial genomes from Version…
Moss Sequencing “Ennobles” Flagship Genome
Physcomitrella Genome Expected to Provide Help with Global Climate Change The Science An international team of scientists has annotated all 32,275 genes of Physcomitrella patens, a moss sequenced by the DOE Joint Genome Institute that contains about 10,000 more genes than humans. The Impact It is widely believed that the P. patens genome contains information…
Project Management Office: Tootie Tatum
For many people, dogs are life-savers. They keep you busy, provide a source of love and comfort, are always happy to see you, and sometimes allow you to keep your sanity. However, DOE JGI Project Management Office Group Leader Tootie Tatum’s dogs actually save lives. During the workday, Tootie can be found overseeing the group…