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The bacterium SAR324 is unusually cosmopolitan. In the ocean’s North Pacific Subtropical Gyre, microbes tend to stay localized at different depths. But SAR324 can be found throughout the water column, from the warm, well-lit surface, to the blue-lit twilight zone, to the continuous pressure of the dark abyss, 4000 m (2.5 miles) deep. Scientists have wondered, how can SAR324 exist in so many varied environments? Now, a recent study supported by JGI and has uncovered that SAR324 encompasses four subgroups, adapted to different oceanic depths and relying on different ways of living. Read more about the hidden diversity of SAR324 on the JGI website.

At SC21, 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. The award recognized the release of MetaHipMer, an end-to-end genome assembler that supports “an unprecendented assembly of environmental microbiomes. 

“They produced fantastic scientific results this year by assembling a collection of large datasets that will enable scientists to explore and collect data in new ways,” said JGI Chief Informatics Officer Kjiersten Fagnan of the award. “We’re excited to be able to offer this capability to the JGI user community moving forward and to assemble, for the first time these large environmental microbial data sets for JGI users, which include projects looking at wildfire impacts, carbon cycling, and the microbial dynamics in freshwater lakes over a several year period.”  

On October 25, 2021, the Department of Energy recognized the completion of the Integrative Genomics Building (IGB) with a 2020 Project Management Achievement Award. According to the IGB project management award citation, project managers oversaw the completion of the building ahead of schedule and on budget in a highly competitive construction environment.

Three Biosciences Area members were recently highlighted in the video series, Basics2Breakthroughs, which focuses on early career scientists discussing their research and what they hope for the future in that research.

Numerous Biosciences Area personnel are among the 2021 Berkeley Lab Director’s Awards honorees. This annual program recognizes outstanding contributions by employees to all facets of Lab activities. A complete list of winners can be found here. The 10th annual Director’s Awards ceremony will take place on November 18 at noon.