Researchers at Berkeley Lab and UC Berkeley have discovered that as plants develop, they craft their root microbiome, favoring microbes that consume very specific metabolites. Their study could help scientists identify ways to enhance the soil microbiome for improved carbon storage and plant productivity.
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How will the farms of the future feed a projected 9.8 billion people by 2050? Berkeley Lab’s “smart farm” project marries microbiology and machine learning in an effort to reduce the need for chemical fertilizers and enhance soil carbon uptake, thus improving the long-term viability of the land while increasing crop yields.
Environmental Genomics and Systems Biology Division’s Ben Brown and Haruko Wainwright of the Earth and Environmental Sciences Area are working with the University of Arkansas and Glennoe Farms on the “AR1K Smart Farm” project. This project brings together molecular biology, biogeochemistry, environmental sensing technologies, and machine learning in an effort to revolutionize agriculture and create sustainable farming practices that benefit both the environment and farms. Read the Berkeley Lab News Center feature story.
In a new study published in Nature Communications, a team of researchers led by Jay Keasling, CEO of the Department of Energy’s Joint BioEnergy Institute (JBEI), report that brewer’s yeast can be engineered to alter the flavor of beer. In this case, the scientists incorporated recombinant DNA derived from yeast, mint, and basil so the brewer’s yeast would biosynthesize aromatic monoterpene molecules that impart hoppy flavor. The benefits of this are two-fold: bioengineering can lead to flavor palette expansion while increasing the sustainability of the brewing process.
A new particle detector design proposed by Berkeley Lab researchers, including Stephen Derenzo, Stephen Hanrahan, and Gregory Bizarri of theMolecular Biophysics and Integrated Bioimaging Division (MBIB) could greatly broaden the search for dark matter into an unexplored realm. Dark matter makes up 85 percent of the total mass of the universe, yet we don’t know its composition.
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Reporter Mo Rocca explores “strokes of genius” in this episode. Among those he interviews is Jennifer Doudna, faculty scientist in the Molecular Biophysics and Integrated Bioimaging Division. The co-discoverer of the CRISPR gene-editing technology does not consider herself a genius, but rather thinks teams are more productive than individuals. Rocca also interviews internet pioneer Vint Cerf and musician Wynton Marsalis. Watch the episode.
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