Biosciences News

Combining cryo-electron microscopy, biochemical assays, and protein crystallography at Advanced Light Source (ALS) Beamline 5.0.2 (part of the Berkeley Center for Structural Biology), researchers from the Baylor College of Medicine discovered that rotavirus VP3 incorporates in one place all the enzymatic activities required to effectively cap rotavirus mRNA, making it unique among viral-capping enzymes.

Molecular Biophysics and Integrated Bioimaging (MBIB) Division Director Paul Adams has announced a number of changes in the Division leadership, effective July 21.

A team led by JGI researchers has generated a more accurate phylogenetic tree tracking the evolution of Dothideomycetes fungi.  This work was enabled in part through JGI’s Community Science Program (CSP), as several approved proposals have contributed toward filling gaps on the fungal Tree of Life, including the 1000 Fungal Genomes Project. Researchers had access to over 100 Dothideomycetes genomes, just enough of a sample size to test if a computer algorithm could distinguish between fungal lifestyles of saprobes and pathogens based on the data provided. The work appeared in the June issue of Studies in Mycology. The work appeared in the June issue of Studies in Mycology.  Read more on the JGI website.

Blake Simmons, Director of the Biological Systems and Engineering (BSE) Division and Chief Science & Technology Officer at the Joint BioEnergy Institute (JBEI), was featured in a series of online seminars hosted by iBiology.

In his first talk, he provides an overview of the advantages of using biofuels and walks through the biochemical processes required in order to convert biomass into usable fuels. He also discusses the ideal properties for advanced biofuels, the projected markets for these fuels in the coming years, and some of the key challenges associated with optimization of advanced biofuel production.

Under a special project launched in May, a Berkeley Lab–led team of computing and bioinformatics experts is developing a platform that consolidates disparate COVID-19 data sources and uses the unified library to make predictions—about potential drug targets, for example.