Colorful illustration of spherical lipid nanoparticles.

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 Digital illustration of coiled molecules assembled into larger constructs.

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 Three people in lab coats standing in a greenhouse with green plants. A picture of a geyser at Yellowstone National Park

  • DOE Renews Funding for Joint BioEnergy Institute at Berkeley Lab

    The Department of Energy’s Joint BioEnergy Institute (JBEI), led by Berkeley Lab, is one of four DOE Bioenergy Research Centers to receive funding in support of innovative research on biofuels and bioproducts. The four centers will receive a total of $40 million. The award marks the next research phase at JBEI, originally established in 2007. Read more in the Berkeley Lab News Center.

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  • Epigenetic Effects of ‘Genomic Parasites’ Impact Their Evolution

    Epigenetic Effects of ‘Genomic Parasites’ Impact Their Evolution

    In a study published in eLife, Biological Systems and Engineering (BSE) postdoctoral researcher Grace Lee and senior scientist Gary Karpen investigated the extent to which transposons—bits of DNA that copy themselves and jump to other locations in the genome—harm organisms through epigenetic means, such as changing the way DNA is packaged in cells, and whether this influences how transposons evolve. In a Q&A with the journal, Lee explained the background of the research, the specific question she and Karpen were interested in, and the most illuminating result among their findings.

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  • Brain-Inspired Chips for Big Data Science

    Brain-Inspired Chips for Big Data Science

    With funding from the Department of Energy’s  (DOE’s) Laboratory Directed Research and Development (LDRD) program, Berkeley Lab researchers from the Computational Research Division (CRD) and the Biosciences Area are collaborating to explore how brain-inspired computer chips might benefit science.

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  • A Whole-Genome Sequenced Rice Mutant Resource for the Study of Biofuel Feedstocks

    Researchers at the DOE Joint BioEnergy Institute (JBEI), part of the Biological Systems and Engineering (BSE) Division, in collaboration with the Joint Genome Institute (JGI) are reporting the first whole-genome sequenced of a mutant population of Kitaake, a model variety of rice. Their high-density, high-resolution catalog of mutations facilitates the discovery of novel genes and functional elements that control diverse biological pathways. Read the press release at the Berkeley Lab News Center.

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  • Berkeley Lab Director Announces Biosciences Leadership Transition

    In a town hall meeting on June 28, Laboratory Director Mike Witherell announced that Biosciences Associate Lab Director Jay Keasling has agreed to take on an important new role as Chief Science and Technology Officer (CSTO) for the Biosciences Area, and Mary Maxon, currently the principal deputy for Biosciences, will replace Keasling as ALD for Biosciences, effective July 1, 2017.

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