Researchers at the Joint BioEnergy Institute (JBEI) have developed a new set of synthetic biology tools that could unlock advanced plant engineering.
The ability to genetically engineer plants is key for creating sustainable agriculture and renewable energy. But the methods currently used to engineer plants are underdeveloped compared to those for bacteria, limiting scientists in their ability to add preferable traits or delete unwanted ones.
Robert Bertrand, postdoctoral researcher at the Joint BioEnergy Institute (JBEI), was awarded the Governor General’s Gold Medal for highest academic achievement in coursework for a doctoral degree from the University of Manitoba. The Gold Medal is awarded to the student who achieves the highest academic standing at the graduate level.
Lysine is an important amino acid that must be supplied in our diets, as our bodies can’t produce lysine on their own. Most cereal grains have low levels of lysine, and scientists have worked to breed crops with higher lysine levels.
However, the biochemical processes that break down lysine in plants weren’t fully understood. New Joint BioEnergy Institute (JBEI) research, published in Nature Communications, reveals this last missing step of lysine catabolism.
Four Berkeley Lab projects were awarded $1 million from the DOE’s Technology Commercialization Fund (TCF) to further collaborative research with industry partners on biofuels, bioproducts, energy microgrid technology, and renewable energy technology. Two projects from the Biosciences Area were awarded funding for research to enable rapid strain engineering for the production of biofuels and bioproducts from low-cost gas feedstock, and produce a new aviation biofuel precursor from cellulosic biomass
As Joint Genome Institute (JGI) Director Nigel Mouncey and Biological Systems and Engineering (BSE) Division Director Blake Simmons shared in their June 4 emails, Nick Everson will rejoin the JGI as Deputy for Operations starting on July 1. He will succeed Ray Turner, who will retire from Berkeley Lab on June 29.
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