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First Public Resource for Secondary Metabolites Searches

IMG-ABC allows researchers to link sequencing data and the search for novel biosynthetic gene pathways. The Science: The wealth of genomic and metagenomic datasets for microbes, particularly from previously unstudied environments, within the Integrated Microbial Genomes (IMG) system is being applied in a new public database to the search for novel secondary metabolites that could… [Read More]

Keeping Algae from Stressing Out

Identifying pathways in algae that produce oil without killing them While most people might know some algae as “pond scum,” to the U.S. Department of Energy (DOE), they are tiny organisms that could provide a source of sustainable fuels. Like plants, they can convert light into energy-rich chemical compounds; unlike plants, they require less space… [Read More]

2015 Call for ETOP Letters of Intent

1. INTRODUCTION The University of California, Lawrence Berkeley National Laboratory (“University” or “LBNL”) is soliciting Letters of Intent for the Department of Energy Joint Genome Institute (DOE JGI) Emerging Technologies Opportunity Program (ETOP) 2015 award. This is a solicitation for Letters of Intent to participate in the ETOP. This announcement constitutes the only solicitation. The University… [Read More]

Cataloging small RNAs in switchgrass

Cultivated grasses are the most abundant sustainable class of biomass that can be produced in the United States, and one of the Department of Energy’s candidate bioenergy feedstock crops is switchgrass. MicroRNAs (miRNAs) are important regulatory molecules of vegetative development and stress response, though their specific roles in switchgrass and in bioenergy crop diversity in general… [Read More]

Sequencing aquatic fungi

Aquatic fungi perform several important functions in natural ecosystems. Similar to terrestrial fungi, their predominant role is the decomposition of organic carbon. In freshwater streams, fungi are most efficient in transforming leaf-litter energy into biomass. Aquatic fungi are also capable of degrading manmade pollutants such as DDT, and sequestering metals such as cadmium. Despite being… [Read More]

Algal communities growing in wastewater

Growing algae in wastewater provides sustainable biofuels production without competing with agriculture for land, and offers nutrient remediation services for wastewater treatment. The researchers have been growing naturally-occurring filamentous algal communities in wastewater but want to know more about the bacteria found in these communities. The team is interested in questions such as how these… [Read More]

Functional Agaricomycetes genomics for biomass breakdown

The study of lignocellulose degradation is an important field of research due to its possible application in biofuel production. Fungi, specifically the Agaricomycetes, are notably good at breaking down the polymers in wood into simple sugars. To date, over 75 genomes of Agaricomycetes have been sequenced, predominantly by the DOE JGI. However, much remains to… [Read More]

How Alaskan fungi respond to warming

The annual mean temperatures in boreal and arctic ecosystems in the past 50 years have increased at rates greater than the global mean. Additionally, these ecosystems contain large stores of soil organic carbon—that are trapped for a decade or longer. Rising global temperatures raise concerns about the fate of the stored carbon. In this project,… [Read More]

Comparative genomics of powdery mildews

The powdery mildew fungi are one of the most ubiquitous plant pathogen groups worldwide. Powdery mildews likely share features with beneficial fungi in that they must beable to minimize host damage and defense activation while manipulating hosts into providing nutrients. The project focuses on the genomes of 11 powdery mildews, including 3 species that infect… [Read More]

Developing Colletotrichium genomics resources

The genus Colletotrichum contains at least 150 species divided into nine major clades, and one of the largest is the Colletotrichum acutatum species complex (CAs). Species belonging to this complex are associated with diseases that infect a wide diversity of crop plants worldwide, and some insects as well. Despite being one of the largest lineages… [Read More]