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    Designer DNA: JGI Helps Users Blaze New Biosynthetic Pathways
    In a special issue of the journal Synthetic Biology, JGI scientific users share how they’ve worked with the JGI DNA Synthesis Science Program and what they’ve discovered through their collaborations.

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    A genetic element that generates targeted mutations, called diversity-generating retroelements (DGRs), are found in viruses, as well as bacteria and archaea. Most DGRs found in viruses appear to be in their tail fibers. These tail fibers – signified in the cartoon by the blue virus’ downward pointing ‘arms’— allow the virus to attach to one cell type (red), but not the other (purple). DGRs mutate these ‘arms,’ giving the virus opportunities to switch to different prey, like the purple cell. (Courtesy of Blair Paul)
    A Natural Mechanism Can Turbocharge Viral Evolution
    A team has discovered that diversity generating retroelements (DGRs) are not only widespread, but also surprisingly active. In viruses, DGRs appear to generate diversity quickly, allowing these viruses to target new microbial prey.

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    Algae growing in a bioreactor. (Dennis Schroeder, NREL)
    Refining the Process of Identifying Algae Biotechnology Candidates
    Researchers combined expertise at the National Labs to screen, characterize, sequence and then analyze the genomes and multi-omics datasets for algae that can be used for large-scale production of biofuels and bioproducts.

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    This data image shows the monthly average sea surface temperature for May 2015. Between 2013 and 2016, a large mass of unusually warm ocean water--nicknamed the blob--dominated the North Pacific, indicated here by red, pink, and yellow colors signifying temperatures as much as three degrees Celsius (five degrees Fahrenheit) higher than average. Data are from the NASA Multi-scale Ultra-high Resolution Sea Surface Temperature (MUR SST) Analysis product. (Courtesy NASA Physical Oceanography Distributed Active Archive Center)
    When “The Blob” Made It Hotter Under the Water
    Researchers tracked the impact of a large-scale heatwave event in the ocean known as “The Blob” as part of an approved proposal through the Community Science Program.

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    A plantation of poplar trees. (David Gilbert)
    Genome Insider podcast: THE Bioenergy Tree
    The US Department of Energy’s favorite tree is poplar. In this episode, hear from ORNL scientists who have uncovered remarkable genetic secrets that bring us closer to making poplar an economical and sustainable source of energy and materials.

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    Ian Rambo, graduate student at UT-Austin, was a DOE Graduate Student Research Fellow at the JGI
    Virus-Microbe Interactions of Mud Island Mangroves
    Through the DOE Office of Science Graduate Student Research (SCGSR) program, Ian Rambo worked on part of his dissertation at the JGI. The chapter focuses on how viruses influence carbon cycling in coastal mangroves.

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    HPCwire Editor's Choice Award (logo crop) for Best Use of HPC in the Life Sciences
    JGI Part of Berkeley Lab Team Awarded Best Use of HPC in Life Sciences
    The HPCwire Editors Choice Award for Best Use of HPC in Life Sciences went to the Berkeley Lab team comprised of JGI and ExaBiome Project team, supported by the DOE Exascale Computing Project for MetaHipMer, an end-to-end genome assembler that supports “an unprecedented assembly of environmental microbiomes.”

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    With a common set of "baseline metadata," JGI users can more easily access public data sets. (Steve Wilson)
    A User-Centered Approach to Accessing JGI Data
    Reflecting a structural shift in data access, the JGI Data Portal offers a way for users to more easily access public data sets through a common set of metadata.

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    Phytozome portal collage
    A More Intuitive Phytozome Interface
    Phytozome v13 now hosts upwards of 250 plant genomes and provides users with the genome browsers, gene pages, search, BLAST and BioMart data warehouse interfaces they have come to rely on, with a more intuitive interface.

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    screencap from Amundson and Wilkins subsurface microbiome video
    Digging into Microbial Ecosystems Deep Underground
    JGI users and microbiome researchers at Colorado State University have many questions about the microbial communities deep underground, including the role viral infection may play in other natural ecosystems.

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    Yeast strains engineered for the biochemical conversion of glucose to value-added products are limited in chemical output due to growth and viability constraints. Cell extracts provide an alternative format for chemical synthesis in the absence of cell growth by isolating the soluble components of lysed cells. By separating the production of enzymes (during growth) and the biochemical production process (in cell-free reactions), this framework enables biosynthesis of diverse chemical products at volumetric productivities greater than the source strains. (Blake Rasor)
    Boosting Small Molecule Production in Super “Soup”
    Researchers supported through the Emerging Technologies Opportunity Program describe a two-pronged approach that starts with engineered yeast cells but then moves out of the cell structure into a cell-free system.

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    These bright green spots are fluorescently labelled bacteria from soil collected from the surface of plant roots. For reference, the scale bar at bottom right is 10 micrometers long. (Rhona Stuart)
    A Powerful Technique to Study Microbes, Now Easier
    In JGI's Genome Insider podcast: LLNL biologist Jennifer Pett-Ridge collaborated with JGI scientists through the Emerging Technologies Opportunity Program to semi-automate experiments that measure microbial activity in soil.

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    In their approved proposal, Frederick Colwell of Oregon State University and colleagues are interested in the microbial communities that live on Alaska’s glacially dominated Copper River Delta. They’re looking at how the microbes in these high latitude wetlands, such as the Copper River Delta wetland pond shown here, cycle carbon. (Courtesy of Rick Colwell)
    Monitoring Inter-Organism Interactions Within Ecosystems
    Many of the proposals approved through JGI's annual Community Science Program call focus on harnessing genomics to developing sustainable resources for biofuels and bioproducts.

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    Coloring the water, the algae Phaeocystis blooms off the side of the sampling vessel, Polarstern, in the temperate region of the North Atlantic. (Katrin Schmidt)
    Climate Change Threatens Base of Polar Oceans’ Bountiful Food Webs
    As warm-adapted microbes edge polewards, they’d oust resident tiny algae. It's a trend that threatens to destabilize the delicate marine food web and change the oceans as we know them.

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    Integrating JGI Capabilities for Exploring Earth’s Secondary Metabolome
    Natural Prodcast podcast: Nigel Mouncey
    JGI Director Nigel Mouncey has a vision to build out an integrative genomics approach to looking at the interactions of organisms and environments. He also sees secondary metabolism analysis and research as a driver for novel technologies that can serve all JGI users.

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Our Science

One of the pools at Dewar Creek hot springs in British Columbia, Canada. (Allyson Brady)

April 11, 2022

The Power of One, Amplified

Researchers showed that large-scale single cell genomics can add significant value when used in complementarity with metagenomic sequencing. [Read More]
41 fungal isolates representative of the A. thaliana root mycobiome

March 9, 2022

Fungal Friends or Foes in Plant Roots

Fungi colonizing Arabidopsis thaliana roots have gene families that help determine if these fungi act as friends or foes. [Read More]
Boeuf and colleagues collected samples of SAR324 microbial communities from this research vessel, the Kilo Moana. (School of Ocean And Earth Science And Technology at University of Hawaii at Manoa)

November 18, 2021

Marine Microbe Contains Multitudes

A deep dive into microbial genomics reveals one bacterial species is made of four ecologically distinct groups with different lifestyles. [Read More]

Rapid technological advances in genomics have transformed modern biology. From its inception, the Department of Energy Joint Genome Institute has been at the forefront of large-scale sequence-based science.

Scientific Programs

Plant Program

The Plant Program focuses on the fundamental biology of photosynthesis and characterizing the role of terrestrial plants in carbon sequestration and the development of plant feedstocks for biofuels.

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Fungal & Algal Program

The Fungal & Algal Program scale-up the sequencing and analysis of genomes to explore the diversity of fungi and algae that play a critical role in bioenergy and environmental research.

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Metagenome Program

Thermophilic microbial mat in West Thumb Geyser Basin, Yellowstone National Park (Marissa Fessenden).

The Metagenome Program leverages high-throughput sequencing to uncover the principles governing microbial community functions and interactions that impact ecosystem processes.

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Microbial Program

The Microbial Program exploits expertise and emerging technologies in sequencing, annotation and analysis, to deliver high quality and high throughput sequence-based science.

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DNA Synthesis Science Program

The DNA Synthesis Science Program is focused on the identification and refactoring of biological pathways with potential application in DOE mission-relevant areas.

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Metabolomics Program

The Metabolomics Program provides functional annotation of genomes and improved understanding of the role of small molecules in diverse biological systems.

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Secondary Metabolites

Integrating JGI Capabilities for Exploring Earth’s Secondary Metabolome

The Secondary Metabolites Group, led by JGI Director Nigel Mouncey, identifies and pursues opportunities associated with secondary metabolite discovery and characterization.

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Bioenergy Research Centers

DOE JGI performs sequencing on behalf of the U.S. Department of Energy Bioenergy Research Centers. The Centers are intended to accelerate basic research in the development of cellulosic ethanol and other biofuels, advancing the federal initiative that seeks to reduce U.S. gasoline consumption.

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The DOE Mission Areas

The mission of the U.S. Department of Energy Joint Genome Institute (DOE JGI) is to advance genomics in support of the DOE missions related to clean energy generation and environmental characterization and cleanup.

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