WALNUT CREEK, CA–The genome analysis of a tiny green alga has uncovered hundreds of genes that are uniquely associated with carbon dioxide capture and generation of biomass. Among the 15,000-plus genes revealed in the study are those that encode the structure and function of the specialized organelle that houses the photosynthetic apparatus, the chloroplast, which…
Upgraded Integrated Microbial Genomes (IMG) Data Management System Released by DOE JGI to Eager User Community
WALNUT CREEK, CA–A powerful set of computational tools established to ease the visualization and exploration of genomes flooding the public domain is now available in IMG Version 2.3–the Integrated Microbial Genomes (IMG) data management system hosted by the U.S. Department of Energy Joint Genome Institute (DOE JGI). The content of IMG 2.3, upgraded with new…
DOE Joint Genome Institute Secures Long-Term Lease on Production Genomics Facility
WALNUT CREEK, CA–The U.S. Department of Energy Joint Genome Institute (DOE JGI) has secured a five-year extension on its lease with an option for an additional five years. The University of California Regents have signed off on a deal with landlord Hall Equities Group that will ensure DOE JGI’s long-term presence in the community of…
DOE JGI Upgrades its Microbial Genome Analysis System
WALNUT CREEK, CA–Rising to accommodate the scientific community’s interest in harnessing the potential of the microbial world, the U.S. Department of Energy Joint Genome Institute (DOE JGI) has made Version 2.2 of the Integrated Microbial Genomes (IMG) data management system available to the public. The new version of IMG contains a total of 2,815 genomes…
DOE Joint Genome Institute Announces 2008 Genome Sequencing Targets
WALNUT CREEK, CA–Toward the goal of harnessing the power of nature through DNA sequencing, the DOE Joint Genome Institute (DOE JGI) has announced the latest Community Sequencing Program (CSP) portfolio. These plant and microbial targets–most with implications for helping wean the nation’s dependence on fossil fuel–total some 21 billion nucleotides of DNA sequence capacity allocated…
DOE JGI Sets ‘Gold Standard’ for Metagenomic Data Analysis
WALNUT CREEK, CA–With the advent of more powerful and economical DNA sequencing technologies, gene discovery and characterization is transitioning from single-organism studies to revealing the potential biotechnology applications embedded in communities of microbial genomes, or metagenomes. The field of metagenomics is still in its infancy–the equivalent of the early days of the California Gold Rush,…
Puzzling Plankton Yield Secrets to Role in Evolution/Global Photosynthesis
WALNUT CREEK, CA–The analysis of DNA sequences from tiny green algae have provided new insights into the mystery of how new species of plankton evolve–and further highlights their critical role in managing the global cycling of carbon. These findings, by a group led by the DOE Joint Genome Institute (DOE JGI); the Scripps Institution of…
No Pain, DOE Joint Genome Institute Gains Coveted Ergonomics Prize with “Shake ‘N Plate”
WALNUT CREEK, CA–Emerging from a record field of 28 finalists representing many major multinational companies, a team of scientists and engineers from the U.S. Department of Energy Joint Genome Institute (DOE JGI) and Lawrence Berkeley National Laboratory (LBNL) won the 2007 Ergo Cup. DOE JGI’s “Shake ‘N Plate” instrument took the prize for the “team-driven…
DOE JGI Releases Enhanced Genome Data Management System, IMG 2.1, Marking Two-Year Anniversary
WALNUT CREEK, CA–As interest in the rising number of newly characterized microbial genomes mounts, powerful computational tools become critical for the management and analysis of these data to enable strategies for such challenges as harvesting the potential of carbon-neutral bioenergy sources and coping with global climate change. The Integrated Microbial Genomes (IMG) data management system…
Super-Fermenting Fungus Genome Sequenced
WALNUT CREEK, CA–On the road to making biofuels more economically competitive with fossil fuels, there are significant potholes to negotiate. For cellulosic ethanol production, one major detour has being addressed with the characterization of the genetic blueprint of the fungus Pichia stipitis, by the U.S. Department of Energy Joint Genome Institute (DOE JGI) and collaborators…