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Shewanella, Systems Biology and Bioremediation

In the past, a great deal of bacterial classification has been based on phenotype, physiology, and comparisons between known species. But the genetic aspect of this classification has usually been limited to sequence data from 16S rRNA genes. Now, researchers are integrating information from genomic and proteomic work to clarify this bacterial classification. “The powerful… [Read More]

Profile: Richard Myers of HudsonAlpha

But in 2008, with much ado that included a glowing endorsement from Alabama Governor Bob Riley, Myers officially made the move to HudsonAlpha. In addition to being handed the steering wheel of a new institute, this was a homecoming of sorts for the Tuscaloosa native. Myers’ lab continues to work with the Joint Genome Institute… [Read More]

“Fungal Map of Mutations Key to Increasing Enzyme Production for Bioenergy Use”

In half a century, one fungus has gone from being the bane of the Army quartermasters’ existence in the Pacific to industry staple and someday, as part of the U.S. Department of Energy’s mission to promote national energy security through clean, renewable energy development, a biofuel producers’ best friend. Trichoderma reesei’s makeover is due in… [Read More]

Selecting the best Shewanella microbes for the job

Researchers have completed the first thorough, system-level assessment of the diversity of an environmentally important genus of microbes known as Shewanella. Microbes belonging to that genus frequently participate in bioremediation by confining and cleaning up contaminated areas in the environment. The team of researchers from the Georgia Institute of Technology, Michigan State University and the… [Read More]

Looking beyond biotech companies for microbe-based biofuels

If you’re feeling ill trying to keep up with all the strange biofuel news these days, you might want to have some lab tests run. You could have a form of E. coli poisoning, a cyanobacteria outbreak, or maybe you accidentally ingested some highly toxic fire moss or perhaps bumped into a desert locust –… [Read More]

JGI’s Eddy Rubin comments on the $50K human genome

A Stanford University professor reported Monday that he has sequenced his entire genome in a few weeks for under $50,000 using a single machine. Six years ago, hundreds of researchers at the Human Genome Project completed the same task for $300 million. It took 13 years. “It’s continuing down the path to making it so… [Read More]

Sequencing a winemaker’s nemesis

Wineries have tried a number of different chemical mixtures to ward off infection, but none have proven fully effective. Phister believes the genome will provide answers on how brettanomyces survives the initial battle with saccharomyces, how it spreads so fast and, ultimately, on how to stop it. To decode the brettanomyces genome, Phister will work… [Read More]

JGI receives ARRA funding for new equipment

The funding is part of the American Recovery and Reinvestment Act approved by Congress in February. Saturday’s announcement marks the third and final round of funding for scientific research, instrumentation and laboratory infrastructure projects, according to the U.S. Department of Energy. Of the $37.8 million awarded to the Lawrence Berkeley Laboratory, $13.1 million is slated… [Read More]

JGI’s new head of informatics

Svilen Tzonev has been named head of informatics at Department of Energy’s Joint Genome Institute in Walnut Creek, Calif. He was formerly at Illumina, where he was the senior director of software, bioinformatics and IT and helped to develop and commercialize the Genome Analyzer system. Prior to that post, he was director of software and… [Read More]

Berkeley Lab’s Additional $40.3M ARRA Funding benefits DOE JGI

The U.S. Department of Energy (DOE) has announced that the Lawrence Berkeley National Laboratory (Berkeley Lab) will receive $40.3 million in funding from the American Recovery and Reinvestment Act to support research in biofuels, fusion energy and the nation’s power grid and to ensure scientists have state-of-the-art equipment for their investigations…. Specifically, the $40.3 million… [Read More]