In our warming world, we’ll need corn, sorghum and other crops to grow well in worse conditions: with more heat, less water and less fertilizer. Grasses do better in these conditions, so plant biologists James Schnable, Guangchao Sun and Vladimir Torrres have looked into traits that could transfer from grasses into other crops. One grass they studied just happened to be the same species that covered World Cup pitches in 2022. [Read More]

The JGI’s Community Science Program gives researchers access to all kinds of sequencing, ‘omics and bioinformatics capabilities — and it’s open to scientists at any career stage, anywhere in the world, for free. We accept new projects related to energy and the environment several times a year. A few proposal calls have deadlines coming up – in January, March, and later on in the spring. In this episode, hear proposal tips from Tanja Woyke, who runs user programs at the JGI, and project manager Miranda Harmon-Smith, who helps shepherd CSP projects along. [Read More]

Black fungi are microscopic and mighty. They survive everywhere from Antarctica to Joshua Tree National Park, despite extremely harsh conditions. And their survival secrets could one day help other organisms survive hotter, drier climates. So University of Tuscia researchers Laura Selbmann and Claudia Coleine are working with scientists from around the world – and the JGI – to understand them better. [Read More]

In this episode, we peer into plant cells. Researchers are using measurements from single cells to understand which genes help plants grow, get nutrients, weather drought, and more. And eventually, their findings could help us grow better crops, with less impact on our planet. [Read More]

Some hungry insects can digest plastic, so researchers aim to follow their lead to improve plastic recycling.  [Read More]

In this episode, hear about a project that aims to unlock innovations in plants that could drive more productive food, medicine, and bioenergy crops. [Read More]

In this Genome Insider episode, Miscanthus is a prized ornamental and a potential fuel for the future. But, to be competitive in the market, both energy policy and Miscanthus will need some upgrades. [Read More]

In this episode, hear two JGI-UC Merced interns from the 2021 cohort describe their deep dives into genomics, computational tools, and big data. [Read More]

Hear how sorghum’s historical — and literal — roots could play a big role in our energy future. [Read More]