EGSB News

Berkeley Lab researchers uncovered a distinctive adaptation that some bacteria use to quickly form protective communities called biofilms, which help them survive in adverse environments. The work could lead to better stewardship of areas with high levels of heavy metals, nutrients, or other forms of hazardous waste.

Congratulations to JGI staff scientist Simon Roux, who was recently selected as the 2025 recipient of the Microbiome Data Prize by the American Society for Microbiology (ASM). Roux leads the Viral Genomics group within the JGI Metagenome Program, and coordinates the development of the virus and plasmid workflows for the National Microbiome Data Collaborative. He also has a secondary affiliation in the Environmental Genomics and Systems Biology (EGSB) Division.

Nationally, Native American enrollment in postsecondary programs is less than one percent, so Berkeley Lab launched an ambitious internship program to help boost representation by recruiting students from Arizona State University to work at the Lab. Environmental Genomics and Systems Biology (EGSB) Division Science Deputy Trent Northen helps lead the program. Meet this summer’s Biosciences Area interns.

Berkeley Lab scientists from the Applied Mathematics and Computational Research (AMCR) and Environmental Genomics and Systems Biology (EGSB) Divisions developed RhizoNet, which harnesses the power of artificial intelligence (AI) to automate the process of root image analysis with exceptional accuracy.

Machine learning has a variety of applications in scientific research, from rapidly analyzing datasets to making predictions. At the Joint BioEnergy Institute (JBEI), researchers are using machine learning to find new proteins that play a role in plant gene expression — providing the scientific community with new avenues to explore in bioenergy crop engineering.