Within the archaeal domain, there is a group of tiny hitchhikers. These organisms are abundant and yet exceptionally small, with mini genomes to match. To fill in their nutrient gaps, they must latch onto a larger host — often, a fellow archaeal microbe. Recently, researchers used population genomics to find that while archaeal hitchhikers may often act as parasites, in other cases, they likely help their hosts.
A Tool to Find Nomadic Genes that Help Microbes Adapt
Mobile genetic elements (MGEs) are genetic entities that seek to replicate themselves and spread from cell to cell. Two of the most common forms of MGEs are viruses and plasmids. They can be found in virtually all of Earth’s ecosystems. A software tool recently described in Nature Biotechnology called geNomad identifies and classifies MGEs based upon their gene content and their genetic sequences. The software was created by researchers under the direction of JGI Microbiome Data Science Group Lead Nikos Kyrpides.
Biosciences Researchers Launching Biopreparedness Projects
Two scientists in the Area, Greg Hura and Vivek Mutalik, are heading up research projects that are part of the Department of Energy’s Biopreparedness Research Virtual Environment (BRaVE) initiative. Yasuo Yoshikuni, a scientist at the Joint Genome Institute, is part of a third project that is being led by Brookhaven National Laboratory. These projects will leverage bioimaging expertise to develop better therapies and vaccines for viruses, develop a high-throughput platform to rapidly design countermeasures to drug-resistant pathogens, and unlock the molecular basis of plant-pathogen interactions to create resilient bioenergy crops.
A JGI Collaboration to Improve Plant Genome Annotations
To provide broad plant genomic capabilities, the DOE Joint Genome Institute works in partnership with the HudsonAlpha Institute for Biotechnology, which specializes in genome improvement for plants. As part of that partnership, the JGI and HudsonAlpha researchers led a team that recently published work on the JGI Plant Gene Atlas in Nucleic Acids Research. Learn more on the JGI website.
Beatriz Rett, Safety Sentinel
As the Safety Manager for the DOE Joint Genome Institute (JGI) at Berkeley Lab, Beatriz Rett has found a way to blend her lifelong fascination with science and her desire to make an immediate difference in the lives of other people. “When employees feel heard and taken care of, they are more likely to stick around,” she said. “I’m happy to be a part of that work at Berkeley Lab.”
- « Previous Page
- 1
- …
- 3
- 4
- 5
- 6
- 7
- …
- 46
- Next Page »
Was this page useful?
Send
