In work published in the advanced online version of the International Society for Microbial Ecology (ISME)’s Journal on August 5, an international team of scientists including DOE JGI researchers report the first metagenome analysis of a microbial community grown in an anaerobic methanogenic (methane producing) bioreactor. The microbial community is syntrophic, i.e., certain organisms live…
Sponge genome project on Cell Daily News Aggregator
The sponge, which was not recognized as an animal until the 19th century, is now the simplest and most ancient group of animals to have their genome sequenced.In a paper appearing in the August 5 issue of the journal Nature, a team of researchers led by Daniel Rokhsar of the University of California, Berkeley, and…
Sponge genome project on U Wire
A team of scientists – led by Daniel Rokhsar, UC Berkeley professor of molecular cell biology and physics and program head for computational genomics at the U.S. Department of Energy’s Joint Genome Institute – assembled a draft genome sequence of the Amphimedon queenslandica, a sponge native to the Great Barrier Reef, which researchers said provides…
DNA Sequencing Reveals Complex Microbial Quid Pro Quo for Managing Carbon and Waste Streams
WALNUT CREEK, CA—Microbial communities drive many of the important processes on the planet and DNA sequencing is emerging as a powerful tool for shedding light on their complex dynamics. Applications abound, ranging from rendering plant biomass into biofuel, to understanding how carbon is managed in the land, sea, and atmosphere, to how these communities can…
Sponge genome project on Astrobiology magazine
Sponges are an ancient group, with fossils dating back at least 650 million years. They are thought to have been the first group of animals to branch from all the others. Therefore, genes shared by sponges and other animals must have been present in the common ancestor of all metazoans. This ancestor would have evolved…
Sponge genome project on NCAA Time
While household sponges are degraded to the dirty job of scrubbing grime off of kitchen counter tops, the recently sequenced genome of a marine sponge could increase the understanding of the origins of animals as well as cancer, according to a new study. A team of scientists – led by Daniel Rokhsar, UC Berkeley professor…
Sponge genome project on AScribe Newswire
The sponge genome reveals that, along the way toward the emergence of animals, genes for an entire network of specialized cells evolved. “This network laid the basis for the core gene logic of organisms that no longer functioned as single cells, but as a cooperative community of specialized cells — all geared toward the…
Sponge genome project on TerraDaily
“What’s exciting is the new things we’re learning about animal evolution,” said Putnam, who got involved with the project while working at the Department of Energy’s Joint Genome Institute in 2006. “For example, sponges have embryos, and having the genome helps us look at how they develop and make specific connections to developmental pathways in…
Sponge genome project on the Daily Californian
A team of scientists – led by Daniel Rokhsar, UC Berkeley professor of molecular cell biology and physics and program head for computational genomics at the U.S. Department of Energy’s Joint Genome Institute – assembled a draft genome sequence of the Amphimedon queenslandica, a sponge native to the Great Barrier Reef, which researchers said provides…
Sponge genome project on University of Queensland news site
In another breakthrough, the sequencing of the sea sponge genome offers unprecedented insights in to the origin of the animal kingdom and how ancient genes contribute to human biology and health. The study, published in Nature this week, illustrates how all contemporary animals, from sea sponges and corals to butterflies and humans, evolved from ancient…