In collaboration with a team led by longtime collaborator Jill Banfield of the University of California, Berkeley and Cathy Ryan of the University of Calgary in Canada, JGI researchers investigated samples collected at Utah’s Crystal Geyser over one of its complex, five-day eruption cycles. Genome-resolved metagenomics, single-cell genomics, and geochemical analyses were integrated to show that samples taken during each phase contain microbial communities that are distinctive in terms of both composition and metabolic function. The report was published January 29, 2018 in Nature Microbiology. Read the full story on the JGI website.
Jennifer Doudna Talks CRISPR Origins, Implications with NPR’s Joe Palca
The Director’s Distinguished Women in Science Speaker Series at Berkeley Lab kicked off on Monday, November 20, with Jennifer Doudna, a faculty scientist in the Molecular Biophysics & Integrated Bioimaging (MBIB) Division, interviewed by NPR science correspondent Joe Palca. Doudna and Palca began the conversation by highlighting a common connection: They are both graduates of Pomona College in Southern California. From there, they covered a lot of ground, providing a vivid backdrop for the answer to the most pressing question of the day: How did Doudna discover the CRISPR/Cas9 genome editing tool?
JGI Announces 2018 Community Science Program Portfolio
Among the 30 proposals selected for the 2018 Community Science Program (CSP) of the U.S. Department of Energy Joint Genome Institute (DOE JGI) is one by Jillian Banfield, a UC Berkeley professor and Berkeley Lab faculty scientist affiliated with the Environmental Genomics & System Biology (EGSB) Division. Banfield will study the impact of soil microbial communities along the East River in Colorado on the quality of water leaving the watershed. The research is part of a major DOE project to investigate how terrestrial systems respond to perturbations such as droughts, floods, and early snowmelt. The full list of accepted proposals can be viewed here.
EGSB’s Jill Banfield Named 2017 V.M. Goldschmidt Medalist
Environmental Genomics & Systems Biology’s Jill Banfield will receive the 2017 V. M. Goldschmidt Award this summer. The Goldschmidt Award recognizes major achievements in geochemistry or cosmochemistry consisting of either a single outstanding contribution or a series of publications that have had great influence on the field. The award will be formally presented at the Goldschmidt 2017 conference in Paris, France this August. Read more on the Geochemical Society website.
Chan Zuckerberg Biohub Awards $7.5 Million to Biosciences Researchers
Seven LBNL Biosciences Area researchers are among the 47 new investigators chosen by the Chan Zuckerberg Biohub to receive up to $1.5 million each to conduct cutting-edge biomedical research — with no strings attached. The investigator awards are the first individual grants by the CZ Biohub as it seeks to foster unconventional scientific exploration and encourage researchers to invent new tools to accelerate the pace of discovery. Senior investigators will each receive 1.5 million over five years while the younger faculty will receive half the amount, $750,000.
Biosciences Area’s senior investigators are: Jill Banfield and Michal Maharbiz (EGSB), Dan Fletcher and Amy Herr (BSE). The junior investigators are Ke Xu (MBIB) and Wenjun Zhang (EGSB). Read more at UC Berkeley News.
Was this page useful?
Send
