DOE JGI researchers sequenced and analyzed a cyanobacterium with known nitrogen-fixing capabilities. The Science: Researchers sequenced and analyzed the uncommonly large genome of a nitrogen-fixing cyanobacterial strain, comparing it to the more than 150 extant cyanobacterial genomes. The Impact: Unlike many of the existing cyanobacterial genome sequences, the genome of Trichodesmium erythaeum IMS 101 is…
Launching the JGI Diversity & Inclusion Initiative
On April 3, 2015, JGI and Genomics Division supervisors took part in a half-day retreat on diversity & inclusion. “About 50 supervisors from Genomics and the Joint Genome Institute (JGI) gathered earlier this month at the retreat for talks and discussions on implicit biases, what an inclusive workplace looks like, how to implement processes in recruiting…
Big Plant Genomes: Formerly Intractable, No Longer Insurmountable
DOE JGI researchers have developed an assembly and mapping strategy for any species, including large and complex genomes. The Science: Through a combination of high-throughput sequencing, high performance computing, and genetic mapping, DOE JGI researchers have derived a sequence assembly for the highly repetitive plant genome of bread wheat (Triticum aestivum). The Impact: The researchers…
Soil bacteria and Setaria in R&D Magazine
“Our results show that healthy growth can be achieved by combining certain soil bacteria with grasses, even when plants are grown in extremely nitrogen-deprived soil,” said study coauthor Richard Ferrieri, director of Brookhaven Lab’s Radiochemistry and Biological Imaging Program. “We plan to apply this method to other crop systems, including bioenergy grasses like sorghum, switchgrass,…
A science ambassador at the NSBE Convention
As part of Berkeley Lab Director Paul Alivisatos’ Diversity & Inclusion Initiative, our own Steve Wilson served as a Lab science ambassador to the National Society of Black Engineers’ (NSBE) 41st Annual Convention on March 25-29, 2015 in Anaheim, CA. Wilson was part of a delegation including representatives from the Workforce Development & Education and Human Resources…
Operations Deputy Ray Turner on Why Diversity Matters
“What I’ve found over the last nine years working in a more liberal and diverse environment at the JGI is that there are huge benefits from diversity in the workplace, the main one being that you just simply get better ideas with a more diverse group of people within your department or organization.” Our Operations…
Longer DNA Fragments Reveal Rare Species Diversity
New sequence assembly technologies help reconstruct environmental microbial communities. Many microbes cannot be cultivated in a laboratory setting, hindering attempts to understand Earth’s microbial diversity. Since microbes are heavily involved in, and critically important to environmental processes from nutrient recycling, to carbon processing, to the fertility of topsoils, to the health and growth of plants…
Potential new bacterial phylum in The Scientist
At the US Department of Energy (DOE) Joint Genome Institute User Meeting held in Walnut Creek, California, last week, researchers announced the genomic identification of a potential new bacterial phylum, Candidatus Kryptonia, based on their study of samples isolated from four hot springs located in North America and Asia. A talk presented by our postdoc…
Targeted Sorting of Microbial Cells
DOE JGI is enabling collaborators to develop a universally applicable technique for studying microbial metabolic activities. The Science: A team led by University of Vienna researchers has developed a way to identify and sort single microbial cells through a probe-independent process that uses heavy water (laced with deuterium) which is then incorporated into mostly lipids…
Identifying causes of poplar canker
Researchers compared two fungal tree pathogens to find out how one of them has gained the capability to significantly damage hybrid poplar plantations.