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FECB: A Functional Encyclopedia of Cyanobacteria

The DOE JGI’s Genomic Encyclopedia of Bacteria and Archaea (GEBA) project has been filling the genomic gaps in the prokaryotic tree of life. One offshoot of the project, called GEBA-Cyano, focuses on improving the understanding of the genetic basis of cyanobacterial ecophysiology. Cyanobacteria are eminently DOE mission-relevant organisms, playing key roles in global carbon and… [Read More]

Fungal Mutations for Biofuels Production

Filamentous fungi such as Trichoderma reesei and various Aspergillus species are the workhorses of the biotechnology industry, annually producing a vast array of products that includes billions of dollars in enzymes. These enzymes play key roles in biofuels production because they can break down plant biomass into fermentable sugars. The demand for fungal protein expression… [Read More]

Ascomycete Fungi and the Carbon Cycle

Basidiomycetes and Ascomycetes are key organisms in the degradation of wood, plant and animal material. Ascomycetes are less capable of rapid wood decay than basidiomycetes, but they are considered more important degraders of plant biomass in compromised environmental systems. As factors such as increasing soil temperatures impact the various processes that regulate life on the… [Read More]

Microbial Blueprint of a California Grassland

The Intergovernmental Panel on Climate Change and the Department of Energy have emphasized the need to better understand and predict how changing climate conditions might impact carbon cycling and carbon sequestration in ecosystems. Grasslands and rangelands account for about 40 percent to 70 percent of terrestrial ecosystems, so understanding the interactions between common grass species… [Read More]

Maize and Their Endophyte Communities

Maize is a major component of diets worldwide. It is also a major commodity crop in the U.S. that is used as feedstock for biofuels, as animal feed, and as a source of raw materials for the production of refined industrial products. Several diseases affect maize production globally and regionally, reducing both biomass yield and… [Read More]

Microbial Communities and Their Functions in Peatlands

While peatland ecosystems represent only up to five percent of the land surface, they sequester up to a third of soil organic carbon. Despite this important position in the biosphere much less is known about microbial communities and their functions in peatlands compared to most other terrestrial and ocean habitats. The net effects of increased… [Read More]

A library of metagenome-derived enzymes

Recent advances in synthetic biology could help bolster the use of engineered microbes for applications such as bioremediation, global carbon cycling and the development of alternative energy sources. In order to make high-throughput genetic modifications to various microbes, however, researchers need to develop foundational genome engineering technologies. This project works toward that end through synthesizing… [Read More]

DNA Synthesis for Functional Characterization of Brachy

The model plant Arabidopsis thaliana is by far the most developed plant system, but it doesn’t allow researchers to address questions about biological features unique to the grasses. For example, the cell walls of these grasses differ significantly in cell wall composition from other plants. Currently, several grasses are in various stages of development as… [Read More]

Metatranscriptomics of Forest Soil Ecosystems

Forest soils (including litter, humus and coarse woody debris) host diverse microbial communities that impact tree health and productivity, and which play pivotal roles in terrestrial carbon sequestration, and biogeochemical cycles. Among these microbial communities, fungi play various roles from decomposing leaf litter to breaking down wood. The researchers are interested in learning more about… [Read More]

GEBA Phase III

The Genomic Encyclopedia of Bacteria and Archaea (GEBA) project was launched by the JGI in 2007 with a pilot project to sequence about 170 bacterial and archaeal genomes. It was extended in 2011 to 250 genomes and in 2012 to 1,250 genomes. In this project, researchers plan to extend this approach to type strains of prokaryotes… [Read More]